Ghost
by Onmysignalunleashwords
Summary: "Her face. I remember her face." A boy trained to kill is brought into the light. Grey, different Naruto heavily stealth based and Root trained, but not in the traditional sense. How will he cope with that most dangerous of foes: emotion?
1. A Meeting of Minds

**Author's Note**

_I'm back with a new story now that my exams for the year are dead and buried! _

_The poll came back as a dead on tie between MKTerra's challenge and the Assassin based story. It was a difficult choice, but I felt I could write the latter one better than the challenge. _

_Just a bit of preamble before I actually get started here about this story, I think it would be good to clarify some things before I lay down the story. This also acts as a declation I don't own most of these characters, but we're in Naruto fanfiction here aren't we, we know this. I won't bother to put this up in any other chapters._

_I will be attempting to respond to all reviews via personal messages, and be avoiding any chat in the uploaded chapters, so that the word count better reflects the length. If you do review, be aware I can't respond if you don't have an account! Chapters should be around 3000 words in length and I'm going to update regularly every three days until the story is finished._

_Otherwise, this Naruto is...different. He's difficult to write sometimes, as his style and persona are odd. Whilst writing an emotionless character as a person with emotions may not work totally (I've done my best to remove any real human traits), I hope he comes across as the person I'm trying to put him across as._

_Enough of this gumph, I hope you enjoy this fic, review, PM, rage, hunt me down and kill me (all feedback is good feedback right?) and hopefully this is alright. Hopefully._

_Enjoy._

* * *

**Some years after the Kyuubi attack, the Fire Lord's castle.**

He waited. It was something he was good at.

The courtyard before him was abuzz with movement, sound, colour and light.

Guests in great formal Kimono's, elegant silk and polished jewellery spread around the courtyard. Hurried servants in the colours of their Lord also moved about swiftly, trying to stay out of the way and out of sight. They carried platters of sweet meats, and piles of pastries and thin flutes of bubbling drink.

A part of him was offended at their slow, clumsy movements. The clothing was all wrong for the task, the orange cloth ungainly and offensively bright. He mentally shuddered at the colour. What kind of idiot wore that for work?

Mentally, he plotted courses that would work better. He worked out supply routes that would be more out of sight, or methods of improving efficiency. He worked out their rotation systems and baulked silently at the crudity of it, and how bad they were at keeping it.

His single visible eye picked out more details he already knew. The guards were patrolling diligently, their patterns obvious and easy to decipher and avoid. So far he had picked his way past several such patrols.

His progress had been almost comically easy. After all, ninja were meant to be stealthy. They were meant to be good at details.

The window overlooked all of the entrances to the courtyard, and was brightly lit, a great beacon of welcome, a great centrepiece of the great castle that the Daimyo occupied.

At the base, a squad of elite samurai stood guard over the great oak doors to the tower. At the top, half a dozen more made sure nobody could get to the top, without being visible themselves in the glory of the light that shone from it.

It was so brightly lit and so well guarded that nobody had bothered to check the small, dingy window about halfway up, which was darkened to glorify the majesty of the top of the tower.

The candles nearby only existed to let people slightly know what they were doing. Any guard worth his salt could climb those stairs in the dark anyway. The flickers on the wall behind pleased him as he waited. After all, they didn't show his shadow.

He ran black gloved hands over his weapon. The crossbow was an antiquated and little used weapon in the world at large.

When opponents tended to see you before you could fire, and it being as good at close range as a caramel dagger, nobody really bothered to use it. It was also slow to reload, at second or two of downtime where a dozen shuriken and kunai could be thrown, and that was with a skilled practitioner.

But it was compact, powerful, and more than capable of taking out anyone who didn't suspect it. More importantly, with a little bit of extra modification and just a touch of chakra, things could be made a little more different.

His eye flicked to the grand archway that led into the courtyard. It took in the fine marble work and its foundations, working out angles and determining the best places to put explosives should he need to take it down if he wanted to use it for his mission.

He flicked to the flagstones on the courtyard. Foundations, tunnels, gas attacks with smoke to disguise his movements. Surprise doton jutsu maybe.

His mind was less a mind than a thinking engine, programmed to work out the quickest way to complete his job. And every other way possible. And the probability of success for every possibility. Kept the mind sharp.

He eased his finger into the trigger grip of the bow. It was nearly time.

The bell atop the tower began to toll.

_Bong_

The chatter from the crowd became quieter as the first blow reverberated and the event began in earnest.

_Bong_

A silence fell as they turned towards the archway, the figure in the tower pulled his long hood up over his head, hanging it at an angle so that his visible eye was left uncovered and the other kept further into the dark.

_Bong_

The first figures emerged in the archway. The figure in the tower placed his hands together as if in prayer.

_Bong_

The figure whispered a few syllables before taking hold of his weapon once more. The entrance party made its way around the corner,

_Bong_

The figure brought the butt of the crossbow to his shoulder. It fit like a glove, the stock shaped to fit his figure. He slowed his breathing down as far as he could to decrease any movement.

_Bong_

The figure shut his visible eye, and prepared himself.

_Bong_

The target became visible to the naked eye as he passed the great masonry archway. Clad in a rich robe trimmed with animal pelts, he was every inch the vision of a prince. He waved to all around him, blowing a kiss into a group of tittering ladies.

_Bong_

The figure stopped to absorb the crowd's adulation. There was barely a whisper as the finger twitched the fire mechanism.

_Bong_

The Daimyo's son fell to the ground as the bell sounded. People looked over to see what had happened. The crossbow was swung back to hang on his back as the figure began flying through hand seals.

_Bong_

The first guard reached the Daimyo's son and saw the crossbow bolt sticking out of his chest, having pierced the armour under the robe, straight into his heart. He looked to the tower where the bolt had been fired from; the fact obvious from the angle the bolt had it.

_Bong_

The guards in the tower moved to sweep it clear from top and bottom. The figure leapt upwards as he heard the clatter of iron boots on the stairs.

_Bong_

Midnight struck, and the guards met in the middle of the tower.

"There has to be someone here!"

"There can't be, they'd have to be invisible. Even shinobi can't do that."

"They must have somehow got past, lock down the castle!"

All the guards moved off efficiently down the stairs.

As the door at the bottom slammed shut and was locked, the figure dropped silently from the ceiling, deactivating his jutsu.

He walked slowly up to the tower to once again wait. Knowing the guards, they would leave the next day to search the nearby countryside for anyone suspicious. By then, he could be long gone.

He pulled the hood off his head, stroking a dark gloved hand through his blond hair.

Another job done, another target taken out for his Lord and nation.

His footfalls were like a child's, light and making barely any noise. Mainly because they were the footsteps of a child. The hooded cloak rippled softly behind him as he moved up the tower. It was difficult to describe the colour of the cloak. Black wasn't right. It was close. It was more of a dark grey, then a deep, deep green and a midnight blue. It was like a shadow, like raw darkness.

He reached the top of the tower and shut off the great light at the top. Nobody would really notice with the guards running everywhere.

Finding the darkest corner in the room, he pulled the cloak around him in a practised movement. His hands cast the genjutsu that would smooth the darkness around him just in case anyone tried to find him again. He allowed himself the luxury of a smile.

Uzumaki Naruto did what he was best. And waited.

* * *

**A day or so later**

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in his office, watching out of the window as the sun set beyond the monument.

The sight was beautiful, and the day's sunset was a beautiful pinkish red that tinged the clouds in the sky. He sighed. It was a great sign of peace to see such a sight.

And such a shame that he was about to deal with his own proverbial devil that haunted the nights beyond his reach.

The figure didn't bother knocking. It was on schedule and he knew that Sarutobi kept nights like this free for such occasions.

Near silent footfalls moved him across the floor to stand alongside him.

They stood in silence together. It wasn't really what you'd call comfortable silence. It wasn't all that tense either. It was a silence filled with grudging respect.

"Do you think sensei chose right Danzo?"

"You always ask this Hiruzen. We both know what I'll say. One of us had to be the poster boy. One of us had to do the unthinkable."

"I could never do what you do. I couldn't order deaths so clinically, so easily. I may not like it, but I do need you."

"And I couldn't really do what you do Hiruzen. I lack the gentle touch. I think I could be Hokage someday though."

Hiruzen smiled. The conversation repeated itself every time they talked like this. Still, better get down to business.

"You know, I received a letter from the Daimyo today."

Danzo raised an eyebrow, his face a picture of innocent surprise.

"What news from our Lord?"

"Apparently his son was murdered during his coming of age party. In his very fortress. All the security measures were in place. It has come as quite a shock."

"Sounds tragic."

"Indeed, shot in the heart with a crossbow bolt that penetrated the under-armour he was wearing. The shot fired from a tower window where nobody could possibly have been."

"Sounds like poor guard work to me."

"Apparently so. He has written to me requesting a squad of ninja to protect him like the Twelve Guardian Ninja did. Just in case the attacker tries to strike again."

"How prudent."

"Indeed."

"He should be careful after the problems with the previous group though. No doubt you will warn him of such issues?"

"Of course, couldn't have harm come to him for the sake of our reputation."

Hiruzen puffed on his pipe. The smoke rose lazily through the warm evening air.

"It also appears that when the maid staff went to clean his son's chambers, various bits of incriminating evidence to a number of crimes was found."

"Shocking. The son of a Daimyo corrupted into breaking the law."

"The list makes for some reading of course. Corruption, embezzlement, connection to various guilds, rape, working with missing nin to assassinate people who got in his way. Associations with people of ill repute as well."

"Horrifying."

"Kidnap as well. Seems he wanted to raise a private army."

"A silly ambition, no private army could go undetected by you Hiruzen."

The both smiled at the in-joke between the two.

"Could you imagine what would happen if he had become Daimyo when his father passes on, long may he live."

"I guess he would try and become Hokage himself, through a puppet of course."

"Of course. Silly boy, I almost suspect that his father is secretly pleased he has been...removed, shall we say, from the world."

"Is that why there has been no substantial search for the perpetrator?"

"I'm sure they'll be found soon enough."

They stood in silence once more.

"Danzo, you've been good if sometimes worrying counsel since I had to retake this position. You know I am thankful I have you behind me, even if I do suspect you may one day stick a knife into my back, and have several plans ready to do so."

"It's what friends do. I think. I was never good at friendships."

"How is the Root program?"

"Much as before. Numbers are still necessarily low, but missions are at an all time high success rate. I think I've only had to take drastic action once in the last month. Fortunately it went without a hitch.

My...latest operative returned a couple of nights ago after a successful mission. It was fairly simple for him."

"Any more detail you'd care to share?"

"Oh nothing too important, just dealing with a silly man whose death makes the world a better place."

Silence again as Hiruzen added a fresh plug of rich tobacco to the pipe.

"How is he?"

"Naruto?"

The Hokage thumped the table suddenly before relaxing his arm.

"No, one of your other unnamed operatives. Of course Naruto."

The words sounded exasperated and rehearsed, but Danzo suspected he could hear the slightest touch of anxiety and care behind them, it was hard to tell.

"He is doing well. I've never met anyone with a more natural aptitude for stealth in my life. It serves him well."

"Analyse him for me, give me a breakdown of strengths and weaknesses."

"He's quick thinking, excellent at long-mid range and as I said, stealthy. Damn quiet and has fairly good genjutsu skills. It's interesting actually, I didn't teach him any per se, but he made one that helps him blend into the darkness. Very interesting."

"Interesting indeed. Weaknesses?"

"Straight up fighting. He doesn't have all that much up close and personal, and he's not hugely strong. He is in taijutsu maybe genin level at best. He doesn't like ninjutsu either but can use the basic three. Although give him a kunai and a place to hide and unless the person he's going to kill has very sharp senses, they will probably die."

"Hmm, he's not a shinobi like the ones we know then."

"He's a specialist. If anything he's cold blooded assassin material. But you knew all of this Hiruzen. Not a meeting has passed since you entrusted him to me that you haven't asked after him. I understand why of course."

"How do you think he'd do in a genin team?"

Danzo stroked his chin.

"Not sure. He's not what you'd call...social."

"Explain."

The word was more questioning than accusative.

"Root is not really a good place for a child to grow up. You knew that as well as I did when you gave him to me that night you revealed you knew it hadn't shut down."

"I had to bring you slightly to heel. I figured he'd be safer with you than on his own once the orphanages stopped wanting him."

"Although I haven't done any emotional conditioning on him of the type I'd usually do, I suspect he'll find being around others more difficult. He would have hated the academy."

Hiruzen motioned for him to continue.

"More or less every operation I've sent him on has been on his own. Pretty much necessity. He relies purely on stealth, and anyone else would have compromised that. When he gets back to the base he spends his time training or alone. He doesn't talk to many people, even the recruits his own age. When he does talk, it's to the point. He's very good at waiting."

The Hokage took a folder off his desk and handed it to Danzo.

"The profiles of the probable graduates from this year's academy students. Arrange them into the teams you think would work best."

Danzo drew a small table over from the side of the room and quickly scanned each document. Hiruzen smiled as he watched his oldest friend's mind apply itself to the problem. It was something Danzo had always been better at than he had.

When Hiruzen saw a problem, his brain saw one route then had difficulty finding others when it was obvious. Danzo's mind was capable of working out all the routes, then finding the one which worked best. Even if that meant a few deaths that a different route could have avoided.

The papers ruffled as Danzo placed the various profile sheets in groups of three. He stood up as Hiruzen inspected them.

"Interesting. Mostly similar to the way the instructors and I felt. Now then..."

He passed Danzo a sheet which simply had the word 'Naruto' written on it.

"What if Naruto were added to the class?"

Danzo set to work again. Sheets moved rapidly from pile to pile. Groups were made and split rapidly. Hiruzen watched the dance of the paper carefully.

Danzo straightened.

"It's more difficult than it should be I'll give you that. I assume you don't mind me shoving four of the no-hopers into a jumbo team?"

"If you think it best."

"Right...then these are the teams."

Hiruzen studied the bits of paper.

"Interesting, care to offer any sort of explanation? I fell that," he shifted a few bits of paper around, "would be far more optimal for his development."

Danzo shrugged.

"Depends what risk level you want really.

Putting him with the Yamanaka girl risks her going into his head and discovering things that neither of us would like to see made public. After all, forcing Inochi to mind-suppress his own daughter would be bad for morale.

As for the Hyuuga girl...I don't think she would react well to one or two of the truths around him. Plus she's too shy."

"How?"

"Please, your configuration has him with a pair of extraverts. It's clear you're trying to drag him out of his shell a little in your scheme."

"You read me like a book."

"Look, as it stands there is no proper place for Naruto to go that doesn't disrupt some team dynamic somewhere. He wouldn't fit properly with most of these kids. The Hyuuga is too shy; the Inuzuka too brash, the Yamanaka too risky, the Nara would work him out too quickly, which is to say eventually. The Akimichi child doesn't fit his strategy. The Aburame kid might work, but that leaves the other teams heavily out of balance. At some stage, there will be an issue with all of these teams. To be honest, one of them is going to get slightly screwed over, and it is likely to be the one with him in it. He's not a team worker."

They stood in silence.

"There is another way we can do this Hiruzen."

"And that is?"

"Make him a one man cell. After all, that's what he has been for so long now, and I don't think teamwork is going to be something he'll take to fast enough. I'll continue to train him, and we given more specialised missions."

"Such as?"

"Tailing teams that are on higher ranked missions. If he needs to intervene, he will. If he is discovered by an enemy he'll fall back, and they'll assume he's just an ANBU, if the Konoha team discovers him, then he'll use a coded phrase like the ones ANBU use to identify himself."

Hiruzen stroked his chin.

"He will have to be part of the regular forces. He won't be Root anymore. Although I suspect I might have to change things for him if he is in a single-man cell."

"I'll miss him. I might not look like it, but I do care for him. He is the closest thing to a son I have. Grant me one favour."

"Which is?"

"Give him a choice about whether he wants to continue in secret or become a public ninja."

He considered.

"Alright, where can I find him?"

Danzo stared out of the great glazed windows onto the spreading buildings of Konoha.

"Right now, he'll probably be running through the rooftops."


	2. Observation

The Hokage waited atop the tower his office stood in. He sat with his arms folded in meditation, as he focused his abilities to sense chakra. It had been far too long since he had trained this part of his skills.

He waited and began to feel the world around him in the chakra. Civilians moved below like guttering candle signatures. He could feel the shinobi in the tower and around the town like fireflies moving through the light.

He felt for something moving, something weak.

And found it. Then it was gone. Then again, and gone.

His body tensed as his mind processed what he could sense and plan.

There!

He moved off as quickly as slightly arthritic limbs would allow him, trying his best to focus on where the flickers of movement were coming from.

He didn't follow directly. If Naruto was good, he'd know if he was being trailed. The Hokage wasn't the Hokage for no reason, and his mind soon had it worked out.

There was a pattern to the movement. He followed the pattern forwards, adjusted his movements and stopped on the rooftop as the figure landed on the other side.

He couldn't tell for sure, but it looked distinctly surprised to find him waiting there. He marvelled at the way the small stature blended into the shadows on top of the building. The hood was completely up and the face was hidden inside the darkness of the hood. He caught the slight ripple of the cloak behind in the breeze.

"How did you know Hokage-sama?"

"Know what Uzumaki-kun?"

"Where I was going. Then get there before me without me noticing you."

He smiled.

"I'm the Hokage, give me some credit. First off, I can sense chakra. I must say you're very good at concealing your chakra signature given what you contain."

The figure seemed to shrug, it was difficult to tell given he was barely visible in the dark.

"Necessary skill."

"Indeed. From what I could sense, you were doing a rough loop around the edges of Konoha. You're avoiding some areas though. Mainly the Hyuuga, Inuzuka and Aburame districts. So I worked out this was a pinch point in your root between two of the compounds. Then I saw the rooftops you could have chosen and went for the one with the second-most cover."

There was quiet as the breeze whispered through the rooftops of Konoha.

"You're good. Who taught you?"

"I'm nearly seventy years old. You pick up some of this stuff as you go. The most covered building is almost always well guarded, so you take the second best. Nobody properly guards it."

"Indeed. Can I go?"

"Not yet. I am the Hokage, and whilst I know Danzo keeps little secrets like you from everyone else, I know a lot about you. For example, you are twelve years old. You have so far performed eleven missions which would be ranked B-C rank in the standard system, each of them being an assassassination mission. Although none of them involved contact with shinobi above chunin level, and the target each time had no shinobi training."

The figure shrugged.

"I guess I'm good at what I do."

"Specialism in long range, ambush and stealth."

"What kind of idiot charges in blindly?"

There was silence again as Hiruzen contemplated the question.

"A dead one."

It wasn't immediately obvious, but he could have sworn the figure smiled. He just couldn't pierce the darkness under the hood with his gaze.

"Can I go _now?_"

"I have an offer for you."

"Not a mission?"

The tone sounded disappointed.

"I'll be plain. As it stands, you are very good at what you do. But you lack several things that I think you'll want in future that you can only really have when you're young."

"Such as?"

Now it was confused.

"Friends? Free time? The feeling of the sun and wind on your face?"

"I know of these things, but do I truly need them?"

"As it stands, you will spend your whole life in the darkness. I want you to spend some of it in the light."

The figure moved slightly forwards out of the darkness. The bottom of the face under the hood was only just visible in the half-light and shadow across it. The mouth was expressionless, but the whisker marks were there.

Oh the whisker marks, he'd forgotten about those.

_'Just like when I took him from the orphanage and left him in Danzo's care. I should have done more in his life.'_

"So you offer me the chance to gain things I have not yet had?"

"Yes."

"I've never found feelings to be that useful on missions. They mess up my breathing pattern when I'm aiming and distract me. Will they make me better?"

Hiruzen shrugged.

"It's your choice. But I'd rather you took it Naruto-kun. You can always return to your old ways if you don't like it. What do you say?"

There was a long pause.

The cloaked figure moved into a ray of light that shone from the full moon that had risen over Konoha. The moon-shadow behind him swayed in the breeze as he pushed the hood back behind his head.

Blonde hair, cropped short but still somehow spiky adorned his head. The face was almost entirely emotionless, the lips a thin flat line under his nose.

Hiruzen sighed as he took the image in. The eyes, of course the eyes as well. Well, the single eye he could see.

In the silver moonlight, one eye was a pool of cerulean blue that shimmered like a sapphire in the light. The other eye was covered by a strip of black cloth much like the one Kakashi wore. He wondered what was under it briefly.

"I accept. Do I go to the academy for their graduation tomorrow?"

"Not exactly. You won't be in a traditional team as such. With your skill set, putting you into the normal genin mould won't work. As such, you'll be shadowing the genin teams as they go on missions. Intervening as you see fit. Eventually the teams will be informed of your presence and you can interact as much as you want to. Report to the mission room at midday in two days. Try not to be spotted."

The figure smiled.

"I will be there. If you can spot me."

He stepped back into the darkness on the building and pulled the hood back over his head.

"May I go now?"

"Yes. It's been nice to see you again Naruto-kun, or at least one of your shadow clones."

"How did you know?"

"I've pulled the shadow clone replacement trick so many times I can recognise it very fast young Naruto. So go on and dispel to relay your conversation with the actual you."

He suspected the figure nodded before it was gone again, a patch of shadowy darkness moving from roof to roof to find a better place to dispel.

His brain churned as it thought about the encounter. Was he really doing the right thing? What would Minato think of his actions?

He sat on the roof and looked up towards the moon.

_'Well Minato-kun, I hope I have. I really do. Hopefully he'll become great like you were.'_

* * *

He sat in the mission room as the remainder of the desk-chunin left the room after finishing their scribing and recording of the days events.

His eyes were fixed on the clock that hung on the far wall above the entrance. The steady tick of the clock came with the second hand inexorably climbing towards the twelve.

It reached midday and kept going, as time is want to do. Hiruzen waited a few seconds as he reached out his senses into the room. He smiled.

"Come out Naruto-kun."

Naruto dropped lightly from the rafters of the high ceiling and landed before him.

"Hokage-sama."

"How long have you been there?"

"Since the briefing two nights ago. I can wait."

Hiruzen silently marvelled at the patience of the boy before him. ANBU specialists had been known to hold a position silently for hours, Jiraiya had boasted a week to him when they met up, but he was an expert spymaster.

"Nobody looked?"

"It's amazing how many people don't look at the ceiling Hokage-sama."

"And if they had?"

"I had a light genjutsu up, not so much to disguise me but enough to make them not notice me, or at least not want to."

He nodded. His eyes took in the appearance of the young man. He was still wearing the cloak, although it was now a blotched brown. He realised it was blending with the background as he saw it.

A strap crossed his chest, the vague shape of a crossbow on his back. A strap for another weapon was also there.

"Interesting. Your first task is to shadow a team as they take part in their Jonin sensei's exam. It's out on training ground seven. Come back with a verbal report of what you see."

"Hai."

Naruto walked up the walls and left via a roof window. Hiruzen smiled as he brought out his pipe with deft, practised movements at odds with the arthritis that had been building in his fingers.

_'This way I should get to hear whether Kakashi has passed this team before he comes to report. And I'll know if I can collect my winnings.'_

He puffed gently on the pipe and relaxed. With the missions handed out, he could afford an hour or two's gentle relaxation before the paperwork started to come back in.

* * *

Naruto moved quickly from rooftop to rooftop. Civilians barely looked up, and other ninja only used the rooftops if they were in a hurry. That meant they weren't paying attention, and Naruto could hide away without being spotted with ease.

He approached the training grounds and took to the heavy woods that were around ground 7 to survey the test as it took place. He got to a high branch, lay down on it, pulled the cloak over him as it took on the appearance of the leaves, and closed his visible eye and whispered.

"Byakugan."

The world became greyscale and bigger. It is difficult to describe what is nearly 360 degree vision with any kind of accuracy because a human mind not used to it; and the brain doesn't expect its cone of vision to suddenly become different. It gets even worse when you try to marry it with normal human vision, hence keeping his normally closed.

He focused the gaze mentally. The best way to describe it would be like adjusting a microscope with your mind, but whilst needing to keep totally still with one eye shut fast whilst your other is the microscope. When the world is composed of grey and chakra signatures.

He could see four scattered ahead of him.

_'Hmm, one large signitature must be the Jonin sensei. Three smaller ones though.'_

He mentally stopped the Byakugan and moved forwards to get a better view. He was now within fifty metres of the Jonin.

_'White hair, headband covering the eye, and book, which is a grey that means its orange. Well, Lord Danzo told me they were eccentric. The headband and hair mean this should be Hatake Kakashi. He's good.'_

He looked around at the bushes, and quickly picked out the genin team members.

_'Have any of them done any stealth lessons? Their positions are wrong, their clothing is wrong. She's even poking her damn head out from under her cover. Idiots. Their sensei knows exactly where every single one of them is.'_

He watched, working out how he would attack the Jonin much as the team probably were. Ah well, his job was to observe the test, not to pass it.

One of the team members jumped out from his hiding spot and charged Kakashi. Naruto was taken aback at the laziness with which he was stopping the genin's assault on him.

The genin was using what taijutsu he had, and it was sloppy and unrefined even to Naruto's inexperienced eyes. The jonin hadn't even taken his eyes off his book. It wasn't even an interesting fight, it was...boring really.

With the genin dispatched and humiliated, the Jonin continued to wander gently through the training ground. Naruto followed, keeping either high in the trees or low to the ground, not following too quickly. Keeping out of the way.

He settled into a new position as the second genin attacked with a barrage of shuriken and kunai from above. Whilst the accuracy of five projectiles at once was impressive for a genin, Naruto found himself almost offended by it.

Who wastes five shots when you only needed one? Either way, the jonin had used a karawimi without delay and been utterly unaffected by the assault. He then disappeared away from a fireball jutsu.

Naruto watched the giant jutsu as he became more and more confused by their attacking style. Whilst undeniably powerful, it was far too showy for his liking. In fact, all of these shinobi were far too of them seemed to have any plan of action and were acting individually.

He briefly wandered whether the three genin could combine to win, but decided against it. The Jonin was just too strong. And was moving in his general direction.

His hands flicked through the handsigns for his shadow deepening genjutsu and shrunk back deeper into the undergrowth. He found a hollow tree and ducked inside it, cloak taking on the mottled texture of the rough bark. That done, he activated the Byakugan once again.

He checked his surroundings. The sensei had managed to take the final genin member, the mixed chakra signals around the girl indicating a genjutsu. And the jonin was moving towards him, still reading his book.

He held his nerve, only if the Jonin was a very good sensor and paying attention would he actually be spotted. He kept his watch as the man approached.

The man was still reading the book, although Naruto could see his visible eye glancing left and right as he did. Not only was he extremely competent, but he intentionally gave off a goofy air to ensure his genin weren't ready for his true strength.

The man glance up at the tree, and looked directly at Naruto for just the slightest second. He then checked to see if anyone was around, and pulled his headband up to reveal his second eye.

Naruto cursed the fact he was wearing a mask, previously hidden by the book. He could have read the facial expression much better if it hadn't been there. His eye saw the other eye.

The Byakugan shows life in greyscale except for chakra. Chakra is usually a pale blue, although different personalities could show different colours. Kakashi's eye was a subtlety darker colour than the rest of him. And spun gently.

_'Like Lord Danzo's eye! He has the sharingan too, it must be Hatake Kakashi.'_

Naruto realised that if he could see Kakashi's eye, it meant Kakashi could see through his genjutsu. He had been found.

Instinct honed by hours of training kicked in. He dropped smoke, created a couple of shadow clones and fled, each clone going in a different direction.

Byakugan active, he focused his real eye ahead to stop him hitting everything, and his Byakugan behind him as best he could. Aside from the blind spot where the optical nerve connected it to his brain, as best he could see he wasn't being followed at all.

In fact, the figure was waving goodbye in a faintly surprised manner to each clone in turn.

He stopped. Kakashi had clearly seen him but had made no move to follow or speak to him. In fact, he had been pleasantly surprised. That didn't square up.

He stopped moving and ducked instinctively under the thickest cover he could find and looked out once more using the Byakugan.

Kakashi was moving off again in the slow deliberate fashion he done when the test had started. No urgency, just a slow stroll with the book held out in front of him.

So...he had been found by an experienced ninja, who, instead of demanding to know who he was and why he was there had let him escape. The last part was almost definitely true, Naruto was quick for his age and agile, but there was no way he could match the speed of a full grown and experienced jonin, especially one with the record Kakashi had.

No...He had been pleasantly surprised. That meant he was slightly expecting him to be there. But how?

_'The Hokage must have told him.'_

Naruto filed that away. It was obvious he was being tested. The 'Don't be spotted' instruction the Hokage had given on the rooftops had been an obvious one. This one was more subtle, _he_ was being evaluated by the jonin with the team.

He continued to observe from a distance, wary that Kakashi could spot him too easily if he got too close. He was lecturing his team, one of them tied to a post. He eventually turned away and walked off.

The team wasn't going anywhere, might as well see what Kakashi was doing. He had a hunch.

The trees and shrubbery barely rustled as he moved quickly from place to place, Byakugan eye focused on the elite Jonin.

He had been right. Kakashi was hiding with a clear view of his charges, and was watching them closely.

Naruto stopped a short distance away, and considered throwing up a genjutsu. He dismissed the option, it hadn't worked the first time, it probably wouldn't a second time. Could he get a shot off with the bow? Maybe, but this man was elite.

He looked through the trees at his target again. His focus on the genin was very tight. Maybe from above?

He moved up into the branches of the trees, and reached behind him. The reassuring black leather grip of the tanto blade he kept on his back slid into his palm in a very practised motion. He crept along the branch until he was nearly above Kakashi, and unsheathed the blade slowly, well oiled sheath barely whispering as the blade slipped from it.

He took a grip, and dropped, blade moving towards Kakashi's back through the air as he pushed it down to increase the power it would hit Kakashi with.

Kakashi reacted at the last possible moment, rolling away and launching a kunai at him. He shifted the blade just enough to block the projectile with a clang. It slammed into the earth as he prepared to move again.

"You're good; I only knew you were there just before you dropped. Although you're not retreating like last time."

"How did you spot me?"

"Luck. The shadow in the tree didn't look right. I've seen enough genjutsu in my time and decided to take a better look. It was good work. I expected as much."

"Hokage-sama sent me here for you to test me."

Kakashi found himself a little taken aback. The way he'd said it bore absolutely no hint that he doubted it at all. It was a fair deduction.

"Yeah. You're good. Although a chunin, if they spotted you, would be enough to stop you at this stage. Your block with the tanto wasn't particularly good, and that cloak will get in your way in a straight up fight. You are quick though."

"I don't get spotted. Even if I do it's usually because I want to get guards to move."

"Quick too. Well, we'll both report to the Hokage later about each other I guess. What do you think of my team?"

"Too brash. No stealth at all. No dress sense either."

Kakashi shrugged.

"Well, I have to pass them; they seem to have finally worked out to work as a team. Quite rare. Ja Ne."

He disappeared to pass the team. Naruto moved off back towards the briefing room to wait again. It should only take a couple of hours, and he could wait.


	3. Border Force

Hiruzen stood in his office as he watched the clock slowly tick towards five. That was the deadline for Jonin sensei to report back to him. It was also the deadline for all other missions to report to him.

So far he had only two appointments outstanding. One was several hours late, and the other was probably waiting somewhere to let all appointments finish.

With five seconds to go before the second hand ticked its way to him being too late, Kakashi walked through the door.

"Sorry I'm late; I walked past the Inuzuka compound on my way here and had to help retrieve a dozen stray dogs."

"Of course you did. Given the time let's skip straight to business Kakashi. Another failure of a team?"

He could have sworn there was a smirk under that mask.

"Pass. Although only just."

"Amazing. Skill evaluation?"

"The Uchiha is the most advanced of them, although that would be expected. The other two are civilian born; they'll have to be taught how to do things properly. They could be good though, if they can gel together properly."

"And the actual skill evaluation?"

"Not while he's in the room unannounced."

"How did you know that?"

"I can see the signs. That and you have a bit of paper on your desk with the words 'They passed' on it."

"He is very good isn't he?"

"He is."

"Come down Naruto."

In the darkest corner of the room, a roof beam was briefly wreathed in smoke and was replaced with Naruto.

"I know you like hiding, but if anyone else had found you you would be dead. ANBU don't take kindly to assassins. Still, a henge and additional shadows. Very neat. Even if they looked at you directly they still might not notice."

Naruto merely shrugged.

"Kakashi?"

"He's good, quiet and elusive. I only really found him by accident and needed the sharingan to confirm it."

"That good?"

"Some issues. He's a little too formulaic. No personal touches, just a basic flowchart approach to stealth. It works, it's a good strategy. But if someone works him out, he'd be in trouble."

"Good. Any comments Naruto?"

Naruto shook his head.

"Any report on your mission?"

"The genin have no stealth skills and are too direct. The sensei is a pervert, based on my research on the book he is reading, who despite appearances is very quick and clever. I'd expect nothing less from his reputation."

"Not all of us are stealth specialists Naruto, my genin teams looks to be more in the roll of an assault group."

That got a shrug.

"Can I go?"

"You are dismissed. I've given you an apartment in the city. Talk to people if you want to. I'll send someone to call for you when I have a mission for you."

Naruto nodded, walked up the wall and headed out to the roofs off Konoha as the sunset began blurring over the sky.

"Not one to mix words is he? He makes you look like a loudmouth Kakashi."

"True enough. What do you have in mind for him long term?"

"Probably ANBU black ops. He needs a little bit more training and to learn more about people. I'm going to have him trail teams when they start doing higher ranked missions, then let him decide where to go."

Kakashi shrugged and made to leave.

"Kakashi."

He turned around.

"You have a difficult team. It's the only team we force, the best and the worst. Be careful with them, and don't bias yourself."

"I'll try Hokage-sama."

* * *

**A couple of weeks later**

Naruto moved through the trees behind the team he was shadowing.

This team was going to be a pain to stay behind. He sniffed himself and made a mental note to properly wash later. The smell was beginning to get up his nose unpleasantly. He would endure it for the mission.

The girl of the team was a Hyuuga. That alone made him wary. When he had received his Byakugan several years before, he had been warned that the clan would likely want to murder him if they saw the eye.

That was because it meant that a main house Hyuuga had had the eyes ripped out of their face whilst they were still alive, preventing the Hyuuga seal from killing off the eyes. That alone made it nearly impossible.

The second was because the Hyuuga fighting style was incredibly well suited to killing people. Juuken strikes, difficult to pull off but deadly if managed, were able to disable a person's body inch by inch.

The fact she would be able to spot him through any genjutsu and see his chakra meant hiding from her was difficult. He had to hope his eyes had better range than hers did and that she didn't spot him.

Usually, he'd just try and stay in the blind spot of the Byakugan, but that too had held difficulties.

One of the group was an Inuzuka, and had a dog with him.

Naruto wasn't a fan of dogs. They were big, they were noisy, and they had a cunning intelligence seemingly tailor made to root out assassins. Like him.

So to avoid being seen, he had had to make himself smell like the forest. Which had involved breaking open some pine cones and daubing the stuff onto his skin. The smell was unpleasant. Although less unpleasant than getting a knife stuck into him. Again.

The final member was an Aburame. That meant bugs. He vaguely recalled meeting one of his former master's high operatives, an Aburame whose name he couldn't recall at that moment. It was an irrelevant detail for now.

Bugs would be attracted to the pine smell, so he had thrown up a small genjutsu to confuse them enough to leave him alone.

Of course, the bugs would be confused enough that there was an apparent blank where should be a tree, but it would take longer for the bug user to work that out. Then he would drop back out of range.

The sensei didn't appear to be a sensor, although he remained suspicious of her. She dressed weirdly. Almost all of the shinobi seemed to have distinctive traits.

The team was taking a scroll to the border with Suna, an ally of Konoha's. Or something like that. He hadn't really paid attention to it. He was just going to follow the team, kill anything he needed to, then get back to the apartment he had been given, for want of a better place to be.

The Root barracks wasn't allowed, now that he was a full shinobi of Konoha. He had slung the metal plate across his back, where he could reach it if needed and otherwise completely out of the way and where it could give off no reflections. Even if the cloak went, he had dutifully removed the shine from the metal and blackened it to lower the chance of it giving him away.

As far as he was aware, no-one in the block knew he was actually resident in the apartment. He only really moved when they were asleep or it was dark, and was very, very quiet.

It was comfortable and bigger than his old barrack room. And had a lot more light in it. He had immediately modified it to his specifications. The blinds were drawn, allowing only half light into the room. Every moving hinge had been oiled to kill off any noise, and various floorboards were now nightingale trapped.

Simply put, anyone who wanted to come in could be killed very, very quickly.

He turned his thoughts away from the apartment and back to the mission. He moved to a high branch and continued to watch. The team had stopped for a quick break, possibly running ahead of schedule as far as he could deduce.

They weren't tired; in fact the dog user seemed full of energy and excitement, his teammates more reserved. The sensei looked relaxed.

He studied the girl more closely.

The black and white Byakugan vision wasn't particularly good at assessing appearance, but Naruto could read body language. And lips.

_'Reserved, shy. No big movements. Hmm, uses full honorific's as well, seems nervous but excited.'_

His gaze moved to the dog user, who was bounding around with his canine partner as he talked,

_'Brash, loud. Too loud. Offensively loud, I can hear him from here. Quite fast, very extrovert. All big movements. Keeps looking at the girl and smiling.'_

His eyes caught the sensei.

_'Telling him off. Hmm, authoritarian, but doesn't look comfortable. Similar to the Hyuuga girl. Not used to this. Defensive posture, possibly her fighting style, lack of weapons around. Nin or Genjutsu specialist. Clothing suggests possibly the latter. Kurenai Yuuhi. Confirm with eye colour.'_

The Aburame he gave only a sparing glance before he realised he was getting nothing off him other than the fact he was the most proper ninja out there.

_'Quiet, glasses could be more optimised though. No discernible body language and his back is turned. Looking back. Should be cautious of him.'_

The bug user didn't seem to say anything, and the team was soon moving off again, moving at a 50% pace to reach the border river. He continued following, mentally preparing himself for any conflict that might occurs. An attack was unlikely, but still, it always served to be prepared. As he moved to a better position he slid the crossbow off his back and slipped a bolt into the firing mechanism.

He had studied the maps for the mission briefly, the word river was a stretch, it was little more than a stream. But it served as a boundary, so it had to be a little more grandiose than stream.

The Konoha team was now waiting. He suspected that this mission was a C-rank only because the document was slightly important, and more to just give them experience of field work.

Staying behind them, Naruto shifted himself onto a tree branch, throwing his cloak over himself to keep hidden, readied the bow, and waited.

It took only 15 minutes for the Suna delegation to arrive. By that time, the Inuzuka had got bored, the Hyuuga nervous, the sensei annoyed.

For Naruto, it had barely been any time at all, his crossbow aimed in the general direction of the crossing.

The Suna team was fairly non-descript. Their sensei looked bored as the team made it to their side of the stream, where the vegetation was sparser and shrub like.

Byakugan deactivated for the moment, Naruto began to assess the Suna team.

_'Nothing unique looking, clothing suited to desert wear. Genin seem...interested by plant life. Some weaponry amongst the genin. Sensei carries a fan. Interesting._

The Suna jonin waved to his Konoha counterpart, who waved back. He began to cross the stream.

Then there was a bit of a kerfuffle.

Naruto concentrated on the two sensei, which were now in the middle of a standoff. He read the lips to see what the conversation was.

* * *

"Aren't you supposed to disarm before you cross the border line?"

"Look. It's a C-rank. No-one is watching, no-one is going to kill us if we break the stupid protocol. Can I just have the scroll so I can get this bunch of bed-wetters home?"

"You haven't even identified yourself. You and your charges carry weapons into Konoha territory, and whilst we are allies, this is an afrontment. I know it's a C-rank, but you should be setting an example for the genin."

"Look bitch, I didn't ask for this."

"Tough. Back off, provide ID or I will take measures against you."

That made things interesting. Naruto turned on the Byakugan to check the chakra signatures. The Konoha team was fine, as were the visible teams, genin lining up loosely behind their sensei warily.

It was the second group of signatures that really made Naruto look again.

There were four of them, hiding in the earth off to one side.

_'In the earth, doton jutsu. Another Suna team? Unlikely, the Suna sensei is rude, but only that.'_

Naruto thought quickly as he had been taught as his head ran through a number of plans. He narrowed down the options to the ones he could do, then the ones he liked.

Within a second of spotting the hidden team, the crossbow was aimed straight at the largest signature, whose chakra was building slowly. Likely the team leader.

He saw with his normal eye the Suna jonin reach out and push Kurenai. Then it began.

The earth jutsu whipped across the stream at Kurenai, who moved very quickly to avoid it. Kiba leapt forwards, suspecting one of the Suna team to be responsible, only to be knocked back by the Suna Jonin.

Then the other ninja rose from the bushes.

From Hinata's viewpoint, she could see Kiba sprawling back as the Suna Jonin started shouting that none of his team knew that jutsu. Then her Byakugan caught the offenders, who were leaping out to engage the surprised teams.

Then a crossbow bolt slammed through the eye socket of one of the team, and he fell face first into the stream, bloody water splashing up around him.

A second bolt clipped the leg of another of the new arrivals, sending him tumbling to the ground.

By this point, the Suna Jonin had engaged another, and her sensei was flying through handsigns as the final member of the party made straight for her.

She shook as she prepared herself to fight, Shino moving in behind her as they had trained for, as a final crossbow bolt slammed into the man's heart. He fell, oozing blood onto the sand.

A moment later the final member of the ambush was caught in a genjutsu and blindsided by the heavy fan. His torso crumpled in a way that suggested he wouldn't be getting up.

She searched the surroundings for the crossbow wielder. There was someone moving away very fast. They were hooded and their chakra was heavily suppressed. But they were holding a crossbow in one hand and a Konoha headband in the other as they moved away. There was something wrong with their chakra. Heavily wrong. And devastatingly familiar.

The Suna and Konoha teams regrouped. The Suna jonin put his fan away.

"That was an unexpected bonus, now; let's see whose these people are."

He dragged the only living member of the ambush team up by his vest. The man was clutching his leg where the bolt had clipped him.

"Oooh, Iwa. What brings you out here?"

"Fuck you."

Kurenai joined the interrogation.

"Name. Rank. Serial Number."

"Fuck you. Uber-kage. 01101100 01101111 01101100 00001101 00001010 00001101 00001010"

She slapped him and turned to her counterpart.

"Hold him still. I think I can make him talk."

She flew through handsigns as she called the genin over.

"Let me show you a nice little genjutsu that I find useful in situations where you have to deal with a smartass. Hinata pay attention, you have Kiba to deal with."

He pouted as she blushed and meeped.

"Demonic Ilusion: Vision of Nightmare."

A second later, the man began screaming, trying to break the hold of the Suna Jonin, who smiled.

"Damn. He doesn't like that does he?"

"He shouldn't. Right now he's dying a number of interesting ways. Well, he thinks he is. He can't even break it."

She deactivated the genjutsu.

"Care to talk now? I hear Ibiki-san back in Konoha likes stubborn ones. They give much more entertainment."

"Yuziko Tayo, Chunin, IS78432."

"Wasn't that easy? Why were you here?"

"B-rank, capture the documents for the Kazekage regarding security protocol for the Ch-"

He started screaming as Kurenai reasserted control.

"Hold your tongue till you return to Konoha. I think I know what you were about to say. Hinata, seal his chakra as best you can. Shino, drain him to a safe amount."

"Hai."

She knocked the unfortunate man out, and turned to her Suna counterpart and passed over the scroll. The man shot her a cheeky smile.

"What? No protocol?"

"I think it's broken enough."

"Damn, you're more fun than I thought. Care to come out to Suna some time?"

The implication was obvious.

"No thank you, I'm a professional. I have a job to finish, so I bid you farewell."

"Good thing you had the backup hidden away. Thank them for me."

Kurenai didn't miss a beat.

"I will."

She walked away at a brisk pace, the unconscious chunin draped over her shoulder in an unladylike fashion. Her team scrambled to follow.

"Kiba stay quiet until we are at least ten minutes away."

He shut his mouth. She hadn't even looked.

The minutes were tense for the team as they made their way back towards Konoha, a days light travel at best. Kiba snapped.

"We had backup?"

Shino was the one to reply.

"No. We would have been told about such backup, it being logical. I cannot think of any reason why we would have unexplained backup."

Hinata swallowed.

"K...Kurenai sensei, I...I"

"Yes Hinata-chan? Don't be afraid."

"I looked for the shooter after the engagement ended. I saw a figure, a bit shorter than Kiba, carrying a crossbow with a leaf hiate."

Kurenai added that to her list of oddities. A crossbow using ninja shadowing a genin team on an otherwise trivial mission.

_'Is this the person Kakashi mentioned over drinks awhile back?'_

She halted her team.

"All of you scan the surrounding area as best you can and tell me what you can find. Shino, I guess you've already done this?"

He nodded as Kiba and Akamaru began sniffing and Hinata looked everywhere.

"There is nothing outstanding nearby, although it feels like something is out there. Something is confusing my bugs slightly behind us. It is very odd."

She nodded.

"Kiba?"

"Nothing but our team and the forest. Oh, and I think the Iwa guy wet himself."

"Thank you Kiba. I was trying not to notice that little fact. Hinata?"

"He's about 500 metres away from us, back the way we came. His chakra is...odd. He's moving back out of my range."

Kiba started running backwards, but Shino stopped him.

"Shino! Come on! We can find this guy easy!"

"It would be illogical to fight another Leaf shinobi. We have a captive and he is our main mission priority."

Kurenai nodded.

"Shino is right Kiba, calm down or you'll get yourself killed by rushing in too quickly. Remember the graduation test? My little genjutsu?"

Kiba shivered the horror of the genjutsu fresh in his mind.

"Try and move off again and I'll reapply it. And this time the dress will be pink."

That shut him up.

Some distance away, Naruto moved slowly back into sight range of the team. He had been spotted by the Hyuuga girl, and the sensei was now aware of what he was. That annoyed him. Then again, the leaf plate was a good passport.

He sped up, moving around the team to get towards Konoha faster. Unlike them, the main gate wasn't his usual entrance, he didn't have to sign in, and he didn't have a prisoner.


	4. Right Between the Eyes

Night was falling again as Hiruzen finished the final debrief of the day. The team had made it back later than expected, but he put that down to the prisoner they were escorting.

"So in conclusion Hokage-sama, the documents were delivered and we captured an Iwa shinobi who knew the details of handover for interrogation."

"Well done Kurenai. The mission will be bumped from C-B rank accordingly. Team Eight is dismissed."

The genin dutifully filed out, but Kurenai hung back until they were out of earshot.

"Hokage-sama, the unidentified Konoha shinobi at the stream, who is it and why the hell are they tailing my team?"

"They are another young shinobi in training. He began doing official missions when you received your team, primarily tailing, tracking and watching of other teams whilst avoiding detection."

"Who? This is difficult to believe, especially when he took out two low chunin level ninja in the space of a few seconds amongst other things, whilst non-fatally incapacitating a third. The fourth I was able to deal with quickly with the assistance of my Suna counterpart. This 'young shinobi' has skills that beggar belief to my mind."

"Such as?"

"He tailed my team for the entire mission and only got spotted because he intervened. Hinata's eyes can see at least five hundred metres in all directions, Kiba's nose is sharp, and Shino keeps bugs in a perimeter around him. They may be genin, but no genin should be able to evade them at all.

Hinata spotted him getting away from the combat zone at speed once the engagement was over. That doesn't add up either. To be honest I'm amazed the Suna jonin didn't question it further."

"Indeed. You are right, it is non standard. Your team is the first to detect him, and his report states he had to gamble on Hinata's eyesight not spotting him."

"How could he tell? If he had got within twenty metres of me I should have spotted him. Am I going mad or is he a Hyuuga? Only they would be able to see that far."

"Neither. Come out Naruto."

Kurenai sensed the short burst of chakra as the genjutsu Naruto had been holding ruptured. A chair in the slightly darker corner of the room became Naruto, and he walked to stand before the desk.

Kurenai stared at the spot he had been as he walked over.

"Go back and do the same thing again. Now."

He just looked back.

"Why?"

"Because I should have spotted your disguise in seconds and I didn't."

He just kept looking at her with no emotion detectable under the hood of his cloak. The single blue eye just stayed open and looked into her red ones.

"Naruto, please oblige her request. She is a master of genjutsu, and could be helpful to you in future."

"Hai Hokage-sama."

There was no sarcasm, irony or exasperation in that voice. Just a cool acceptance of an order.

"Look away please."

They did. A few seconds later, she looked back, looking for the tells in his genjutsu.

_'Ok, the shadows are a little off, and the chair is...no the floorboards, the chair. Why can't I focus on it properly?'_

She walked closer, and crossed her fingers.

"Kai."

Now she could see the chair. The transformation was good, no discolouration or obvious deformity that usually appeared on the standard genin henge for more complex objects.

She moved her hand towards the chair, expecting to meet the resistance of a person where they were hidden. There was none.

She ran her hands over the chair. It was very chair-like. She tried to pick it up. It was definitely not chair heavy.

She backed off as he transformed back out again.

"Your hands are very gentle, they felt nice."

She wasn't quite sure what to make of that. What exactly had she been touching? How did human-chair transformation affect the biology of what went where. Probably best not to ask.

"A solid transformation henge is a high level skill. Interesting genjutsu, it makes it hard to focus on you. I guess you can't use it whilst moving?"

He nodded.

"It's clever. What would you do if someone called you on it without giving any indication they knew?"

"Escape, or die."

"What?"

"I'm not built for protracted fights."

"Why don't you learn?"

"Never needed to."

That statement shocked her most of all. From anyone else, it might have been arrogance. This didn't sound like it. It just sounded like a statement of fact. There might have been a hint of pride. Not really though. Under the hood with one eye visible in the half light, he was unreadable.

"Take off your hood."

"No."

"I need to know how you knew what my team was doing."

"No."

She couldn't stare him down.

"Kurenai, there are some secrets that should be kept. That young man holds more secrets than I like."

"I still want to know."

There was a small creak from the doorway and Hiruzen turned to look. There was a nervous squeak from someone outside.

"Enter."

The doors opened and Hinata walked in, Byakugan active. Her face was nervous, and her posture tense. Kurenai swept round to look at her.

"Hinata, why are you here? How much did you hear?"

"A...A...All of it Kurenai-sensei."

"Why did you come back?"

"I...wanted to talk to you. Then I kept listening. I...I...think I know how he could see our team."

There was a click.

Kurenai turned to see Naruto, crossbow raised to his shoulder, aimed in a very, very still and deliberate manner directly between Hinata's eyes. She moved between them.

There was a blur, and the crossbow pinwheeled across the room from Naruto's hands. The Hokage stood before him.

"Naruto, do not draw your weapon on a fellow Konoha shinobi. She may know a secret she should not, but killing her is not the way to manage this situation."

"But if she spreads it you know the consequences will be worse than her death."

"You still don't do it. I can handle it. Just for this, I want Hinata to reveal what she thinks she knows. Hinata?"

The girl was still stock still having seen the crossbow levelled.

Kurenai leant down next to her and drew her close in.

"Just whisper it to me if you want to."

She did so, slowly and trembling, just about getting the last syllable out before she passed out, the situation becoming too much.

Kurenai leant her up against the desk, marched towards Naruto and pushed the hood back. The strip of fabric he had tied across the only made the single defiant eye that stared back even more imposing.

"Show me. Do you have a Byakugan?"

He pulled back the fabric to reveal it. The sight was off-putting, one eye pearly white and the other azure blue. After a brief second, he pulled the fabric back over it.

"Happy?"

"Satisfied. Not happy you drew a weapon on my student. Harm her and you die. You will not hide from me."

"Fine."

Kurenai drew back and mentally calmed herself.

"Hokage-sama, what do we do about Hinata? If she learns her suspicion is correct, she will be duty bound to see him hunted down by her clan for having one of their eyes. It means a main house member had it taken from them. It will not sit well."

"Agreed. However skilled the Yamanaka are, they cannot force her to forget. You must swear her to silence on the matter, and hope her clan does not learn of it."

"I think the fact she wouldn't want him to die will keep the secret safe. She's not the vengeful type."

The Hokage nodded and turned back to Naruto, who was standing still as he waited.

"Anything to add Naruto?"

"No Hokage-sama."

"You could apologise?"

"She is unconscious. It would be pointless."

"Then ask Kurenai to pass it on."

Hiruzen smiled as it took Naruto slightly longer to act than it should have done. Naruto was now looking at Hinata's peaceful form, and he thought there was just a hint that he felt some sort of emotional response to it.

"Kurenai-san, please pass on my...apology to Hinata?"

The way he said it sounded like a child using a new word for the first time. The inflection made the word apology sound like a question more than a statement. It almost made him chuckle.

"I will Naruto. If you'll excuse me Hokage-sama."

She left, cradling the sleeping Hinata in her arms as she made to take her home. Hiruzen turned to Naruto.

"Now for you. You intervened in a mission, explain."

"I was in a better position to eliminate the threats. The two genin teams were not paying attention to their surroundings, and I suspect I saved the lives of some of them. I was only detected as I fell back, and as the team was occupied knew I could make good the escape."

Hiruzen nodded. Saving genin was important, even if it did seem odd to sacrifice an elite ninja for a rookie one. He'd seen enough promising candidates die on the field because a jonin didn't care.

"Well, that team was always going to be difficult to avoid detection. You did well. However draw a weapon on another of your fellow shinobi again and it will be your arm instead of your bow. Understood?"

"Hai, can I go?"

"How do you feel about Hinata?"

There was a pause.

"I don't feel anything, although I would have preferred not to upset her. It was unnecessary."

"So you do feel sorry?"

"If that is what sorry is."

"Embrace the feeling Naruto. When Kurenai examined your genjutsu, did you feel anything about it?"

"Her assessment of my skills was filled with praise."

"Is that good?"

"If it was correct, which I feel it was."

"So you are pleased with the result?"

"Yes."

"Happy? Proud?"

"If that is what they are. I've only ever felt the feeling when I have successfully completed a mission."

"Embrace that as well Naruto. Emotion is what makes us human as well as shinobi."

"I will try. May I go now?"

"You may."

He puffed on his pipe as Naruto went out through a high window into the dark, he was startled by the fact he had been prepared to kill Hinata to keep the secret.

The fact was, eventually news about Naruto was going to spread amongst the teams. He couldn't avoid detection forever.

* * *

Naruto slid in through his perpetually open window to his home.

The house was chilly, the fall of night cooling the air so that his breath slightly misted as he breathed. There were no lights on, no indication he was in.

He surveyed his apartment again. A small room, an all in one kitchen, living room and bedroom, with a bathroom tucked neatly into a corner.

He sat on the bed, the sheets still made from when whoever had got the apartment ready for arrivals still made neatly. He didn't sleep on the bed, he didn't really need to. Still, sitting on the firm mattress was preferable to the floor for a few hours.

He shut his eyes and folded his arms as he considered the words of the Hokage again.

Was he happy that his henge and genjutsu were judged well by a fellow shinobi? Certainly it was vindication of his skills, and although not nearly as potent, it was similar to how he felt when a well laid plan came to fruition, usually in the form of a crossbow bolt to the cranium.

He considered his life in a logical fashion.

_'Using the time in Root as a datum._

_Upsides: More time outdoors, more mission freedom, justification of skills by superiors, net wealth gain in apartment and mission fees. Discovery of new things. New avenue of interest to explore in learning to map experience to emotion more logically._

_Downsides: People everywhere. "Peers" illogical and loud. Lack of training by Lord Danzo.'_

That last thought caught him unawares. Certainly not having a sensei, and sharpening the skills he already had was gratifying, and he was learning much about the other forces Konoha had to offer.

But still, why did he feel the pressing need to talk to his former master?

Maybe he could. He hadn't been explicitly forbidden after all.

The whispering sound of his cloak was the only noise as he left the apartment in search of answers.

* * *

The wall was fairly easy to get around, it could be walked over, moved under using any number of the tunnels he knew, in some cases even walked through. Out into the country, he took the long winding route designed to throw off pursuers, even though his Byakugan told him none were present.

He found the hidden entrance and performed his knock.

A hatchway opened, and he slipped inside, the guard didn't need to look at him, and gave a brief nod to him as he walked past. Each Root member had a unique knocking code that identified them to the entrance guard. The guard knew every knock.

He moved down the long shadowy corridors as if he had never left; the twisting tunnels confusing to anyone but someone who knew the layout. A fair portion of recruits simply didn't make it as they became lost in the labyrinthine structure. The genjutsu up on parts of it didn't help people either.

He found the door, and did his knock again.

"Enter."

It was as if he had never left. The door opened and he walked inside before kneeling.

"Lord Danzo."

"Naruto. I can't say I haven't been expecting a visit from you. I wonder if you can tell me why? You may stand; you're not technically part of Root anymore."

Naruto was quiet for a moment.

"I was meditating on the events of previous weeks, and the missions I have undertaking under the Hokage as you taught me to do for all my missions."

"Anything that required your skills?"

"Just the one. Ambush by an Iwa team, killed three, and left one for interrogation. Then there were problems. I was spotted by the Hyuuga on the team."

"Ah, young Hinata. Shy girl. She must have discovered your eye."

"Yes. It happened within sight of the Hokage and her sensei, so she is bound by trust."

"That is unfortunate. Have you got a cover story prepared?"

"Yes. I hope the issue does not arise again and just have to avoid using the eye when I am trailing a team with a Hyuuga."

"A wise choice. Continue with where you were going?"

"I was considering the pros and cons of my current situation, and one of the downsides I found was that I wasn't being trained by you. Or anyone for that matter. I should have a teacher, as I still have skills to learn. I...don't know why I thought it should be you, given I am no longer Root, and you cannot be seen to be training me. It is illogical, yet I cannot shake the thought."

Danzo's face remained impassive, and looked Naruto in the eye with his own.

"Have you been feeling emotions? Now that you are not Root you should cultivate them. I remember having them, years ago. I don't have that luxury now."

"I felt pleased that Kurenai Yuuhi thought my genjutsu was good, and felt...wrong after I threatened to silence Hinata before fellow shinobi. I think these were happiness and regret, but I don't know. I don't think they would be good to have on missions."

Danzo nodded and knelt down next to the shorter Naruto, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"It is alright Naruto. What you feel currently is that you miss me and my training. It is natural, even if two months ago I would have scolded you for it. I miss your services, but I cannot train you now. I have taught you all I know about stealth in all things, and you have surpassed me in that.

What you need is a sensei who can teach you more of the subtle arts of death. A poison specialist maybe or someone who can teach you a bit more taijutsu.

In your new role, it may not be long until you find shinobi who will be able to detect you even if your stealth is perfect. I wish you good luck."

Naruto nodded, and wiped his cloak over his eye instinctively. He then looked at it wondering why he had done so.

"Sadness is the emotion I know most about Naruto. I can give you a bit of advice. Do not dwell in it, but use it as motivation to make things better. I am sad I am not Hokage, or that I cause deaths. I use it to push myself onwards to greater things."

"Hai Danzo-sama."

"Now get going, and come back if you feel the pressing need, otherwise best we dwell in the shadows."

Danzo watched as his charge went through the door and vanished into the black tunnels, before turning back to his works.

_'I hope you know what you're doing Hiruzen, as you will either make or break that boy.'_


	5. Backup Plans

He was waiting again. He'd watched teams coming and going from the room with all the awareness a rabbit did just before a hawk turned it from a fluffy herbivore into a meal.

He mentally ticked off the number of kills he could have made in the time between the first team coming in and the latest one.

Ignoring consequences like the Hokage being in the room, adding on inaccuracies he could incur if he were to lose concentration or fall asleep, and assuming nobody noticed the rapidly rising body count in the room, he estimated maybe 50 or so. Maybe more if he was lucky.

Still, he was glad he had mastered a state of half alertness that allowed him to get some rest whilst he waited. It wasn't sleep, it wasn't being fully awake. It was a sort of magic in-between zone that could tide him over until he needed to properly sleep.

It was still enough for him to quickly get away if he needed to. If he was found in the first place. All he needed to do was hold his various hiding genjutsu up. The air around him was laced with a lot of his chakra.

In any case, he was now carefully watching a conversation he hadn't expected to see.

The Hokage was talking, respectfully and normal to a pug dog that was sitting on his desk. Wearing a vest. Speaking plain English. With a headband.

He knew summoning animals existed, and knew that these must be the nin dogs of Hatake Kakashi. He had decided to further research the first person who had genuinely found him when he was hiding. He found himself impressed by the man's work.

He was still fascinated. At least the bits of him that weren't working out how easily the dogs could find him or if he could kill them were. There was only a 3.7% chance, and he decided to ignore the possibility.

He could read the Hokage's lips easily, but the dog's voice was muffled and with its back turned, he could only see half the conversation. He wondered if there was a jutsu he could use to hear at a distance. That would be useful.

"The Demon Brothers? No doubt he took care of that."

There was gruff, bark like voice of the dog.

"Continuing with the mission after the genin requested to. Brave. But stupid. I'll chat to him about that later."

More talking. It sounded urgent.

"I would send backup, but there isn't a team to send right now. I mean, I could but will it be necessary?"

The dog's head tilted.

"What do I mean I could? Well let me look above and see if anything _reveals_ itself to me."

He looked up into the air and blew a smoke ring upwards in a lazy, satisfied manner. To the dog on the table, it was a gesture that was confusing, smug and utterly unexpected.

Naruto read the way it was said, the body language and the words.

He had a choice to go as backup on a mission that would be potentially dangerous. He was being asked if he wanted it.

He dropped from where he was lying on a rafter neatly down behind the dog, which turned and looked him over.

"He's a little short Hokage-sama, is he a genin?"

"No Pakkun, he's a special case. He's your team's backup, tell Kakashi Naruto will be shadowing the mission as backup. Shadowing mind, he'll act as he sees fit."

Pakkun gave him a closer examination. He looked intently at his outfit and gear, he took in the headband, he sniffed him and recoiled with a disgusted, gruff whimper.

"When was the last time you washed?"

Naruto considered.

"A week ago? I don't really keep track of these things."

"You smell like the forest."

"Considering how much time I've spent shadowing teams in forests, it helps avoid detection."

"What on earth are you?"

"An assassin."

The dog looked at Hiruzen with an incredulous expression on its pug features.

"Seriously?"

He nodded.

"No. Seriously? He's the real deal?"

"Pretty much."

The dog looked at Naruto one final time.

"Right, you better get going towards Wave country. I'll de-summon to report back to Kakashi, and I might see you out there."

Naruto was up and onto the rooftops in seconds.

Pakkun turned back to face the Hokage.

"I really hope you you're right about this kid. He scares me. Too quiet. He's not normal."

"He isn't."

The dog shook its head and vanished in a puff of smoke.

* * *

As he bounced from tree to tree, Naruto realised that he was feeling more...alive than he had for awhile.

He had no idea what the feeling was, but he was feeling it and it was pleasant. More than pleasant.

The wind going through his hair, pushing his hood back, his mind focused on moving tree to tree and readiness to unleash his bow on his targets.

Byakugan active, he sped forwards.

Then suddenly something was blocking his vision. The mist had chakra in it. That was interesting. He slowed to prepare a strategy.

Going into the mist would be suicide, if someone was generating a chakra mist whilst attacking the team; it was likely they were going to be quite powerful. And more than likely they would know if he did go into the mist.

He moved round the edge of the mist, crossbow held loaded in his hands. His Byakugan vision swam in front of him as he watched both real and greyscale worlds at the same time. He traced the edge, looking for anything.

He found something.

Another figure, masked, sitting on a tree branch, waiting tensely just inside the mist, head twitching as it followed the movement of the fighting below.

He aimed the bow, looking to pierce the neck just under the mask. A gust of wind made the mist gently whisp around his leg, only the slightest of touches. But it was a touch nonetheless.

The figure looked round, seemingly able to sense what was happening in the mist and was just able to avoid the bolt as it sizzled past.

By then Naruto was gone, hiding in the shadows his genjutsu cast. But his assailant had some control over the mist and was flooding the area he was in.

Naruto made a shadow clone and backed off before the mist could reach his position.

He moved back and around, keeping to cover, his cloak blending with the world around him perfectly. He heard the twang as his clone fired its bow, and then saw the smoke and gained the memories of the clone.

_'Senbon. Well aimed too. They are very quick.'_

He silently cursed the fact the encroaching mist that was expanding to cover the ninja's back. Given their reaction time for the first shot, they'd be watching themselves even more carefully.

Oh well, he had alternatives.

He snuck closer, keeping away from the mist just in case it pushed forwards a bit further until he had sight of the ninja. From somewhere in the mist there was a sound like a tidal wave smashing into the ground and the ninja prepared to move. Naruto made another clone and got it into position, the plan the same as the originals.

He began to form hand signs, the jutsu being prepared as fast as he could. He hadn't had much time to practise it since he'd seen it for the first time, but Kurenai had performed it in full view of him and his memory was good.

Just as he hit the final hand sign as the clone fired at the figure. As expected, they whipped round to find the source of the attack, senbon needles held in one hand.

He unleashed the genjutsu, hopeful that it would work even without that much practise and formed ad hoc.

The figure froze and cried out in pain. The clone rushed forwards, dropping the bow and drawing the tanto blade of its back to go in for the kill whilst the original focused on maintaining the genjutsu.

Naruto grimaced as he continued to try and flood his targets mind with terrible ways to die. It was difficult to explain exactly how a genjutsu like this worked, or even how the chakra transfer involved worked properly, but it was like trying to control a puppet from a long distance. His target was fighting the genjutsu.

The clone thrust forward straight for the target's heart as it clapped its hands together.

"Kai!"

Naruto felt the genjutsu break and panted from the excursion. The strike from the tanto slammed into the ninja's clapped hands, going between both but not into the chest. The ninja kicked out fast and knocked the clone away before disappearing deeper into the mist. A crossbow bolt from the original sailed through where they had been and thudded into a tree.

A few moments later, and the mist began to recede. At least the chakra within it did.

Naruto dispelled the clone as he caught his breath. That was far too much like the way other shinobi fought. He had failed to get his kill.

He made a note to re-evaluate the action in his head. Right now, he was on a mission. That came first.

He activated the Byakugan from the undergrowth where the ninja had been.

He recognised the team as the one who had been his first mission. Kakashi was down, and with the Byakugan he could see that his chakra levels were down and that he was unconscious.

His mind blitzed through the options. Kakashi was alive, but heavily exerted. His foe had disappeared when the crash of water had happened, so presumably Kakashi had won his fight. Any foe capable of exhausting him was probably powerful, but alone. That made it unlikely any more attacks were coming. They were close enough to wave country to ensure that.

All of that boiled down to a few simple objectives for Naruto.

_'1) Stay hidden and shadow the team_

_2) Kill any further threats without any kind of delay, taking charge of the mission if need be_

_3) Report to Kakashi with information when convenient.'_

He took to the trees and followed the team as they made their way to the Wave village.

* * *

**The next day**

Kakashi walked slowly away on his crutches as he left his team to the tree climbing exercise.

Zabuza had been a somewhat expected twist in this. Obviously whoever wanted Tazuna dead was willing to pay big money to achieve his goal. That narrowed down the options considerably, and only a few really came to mind. Turns out he'd gone and got himself a man who specialised in killing and water jutsu.

The shipping merchant Gato, a man so rich that even the full military might of Konoha was cautious in dealing with him. Economics was a battlefield that most Kage didn't like to tread, the civilians and Daimyo's being the warriors of such conflicts.

Gato was corrupt as hell, a fact so universally known that he had stopped bothering to hide it. But he was clever and cunning. That made things difficult for Kakashi. Still, too late to back out of this mission.

He stumped slowly up the stairs of Tazuna's house back to his room. He couldn't show it in front of his students, but his exhaustion was so extreme he'd probably need another day's bed-rest before he could be up and about again properly, and a week until he could fight at full power. Still, there was a crumb of comfort that he wasn't the only one who wouldn't be up and about soon. Zabuza would be a few days in healing as well.

He slithered onto the sleeping mat and closed his visible eye. He felt the whisper of the breeze through the window caress the skin and pulled his mask down to experience the sensation on his face.

It took a moment, but he realised that window hadn't been open when he had left the room earlier that morning. And he had been the last one out. He reopened the eye to see the cloaked figure standing over his bed roll.

"So that's what you look like under your mask. What did that?"

"An ANBU mission clusterfuck. My first mission. Someone blew our cover and there were suddenly jutsu everywhere. I ended up facing several Kumo nin who knew some wind jutsu. They left an impression on me before I could take care of them."

He pulled the mask down once more to show his lower face. It wasn't all that bad in Naruto's book. A long scar ran from one side of his face to the other under his mouth. It was fairly clean, but still a thin line of red, ruined skin that ran across his face. Odd, but nothing truly disgusting. The kind of scar that ladies might find dashing and heroic would have been a good way of describing it, but Naruto was ignorant of such a thought.

"Wind jutsu aren't nice to be on the end of. This one was half an inch from killing me. I was the only one that made it out."

The cloaked figure stood still.

"How did it really happen?"

"Do I have to explain it again? ANBU, wind jutsu, cut me open badly."

"You're lying. The wound is too jagged to be caused by a wind jutsu; the scar is too established to be less than ten years old as my guess. Your ANBU time started more than then years ago. Kumo nin tend to prefer lightning or earth jutsu to wind jutsu. Plus you shut your eye to try and hide it."

"You'd make a good interrogator Naruto, why are you an assassin?"

"I try not to talk too much."

"Fine. In the academy I challenged and older student to a spar when the teachers weren't looking. I was the best of my year, and got too cocky. He brought out a kunai and I didn't dodge it well enough."

"Idiot."

"I was, it could have been worse I guess."

He pulled the mask back up over his chin.

"Quite. I am here as backup from the Hokage."

"Good. Tell me what you know about the mission."

"From what I've seen, you're escorting a bridge builder and protecting him from someone who wants him dead. Two high level ninja involved in trying to kill him. The one I fought uses senbon very efficiently."

"Pretty much. The other ninja is Momochi Zabuza."

"Kiri missing nin, uses the Kubikiribōchō. High ranked too."

"I expect him to attack again in about a week. What's your plan, given that you are in effect a team leader of your own cell?"

"I will shadow your team and assist in combat where necessary. Unless there's anyone you need assassinated."

Kakashi stroked his chin, fingers tracing the scar unconsciously.

"Actually, there is. It would benefit our mission immensely if you could, and potentially rid the world of a nasty person."

"Name the target."

"Gato, shipping merchant and notorious crime lord. Probably nearby, likes to see his associates do their dirty work personally."

"I will endeavour to kill him."

It was the emotionless tone of voice that sent a chill down Kakashi's back.

"Make your original mission your main priority. In truth, I'm not sure killing Gato would be a good idea. It's not how Konoha wants to be seen to operate. As I said, we have a week. A normal assassassination mission takes several months of information gathering and intelligence operations, and that's with a team."

Naruto nodded.

"Can I go now?"

Kakashi nodded and felt Naruto leave through the window. He lay back on the mat and tried once again to sleep. It was partially reassuring that he had an extra pair of hands around, but it was the fact that that pair of hands was Naruto that tinged that with a layer of caution.

He had nearly drifted off when Naruto reappeared at the window.

"Oh, and eventually I'll find out the real reason behind that scar."

Kakashi smiled. He was good.

* * *

Naruto lay in the undergrowth next to the house. He looked out across the ocean that separated the tiny island nation from land.

The great grey bridge stretched off towards the far shore. The sun, setting gently had turned the sky into a mix of pinks, reds, oranges and yellows, melting into the horizon and dancing on the surface of the water.

A few light clouds had their edges turned to silver and gold by the light, and their bodies pinkened by it. The slightest sliver of the moon was brightening as it rose.

Only the lightest of ripples moved across the surface of the cool blue waters from a gentle breeze. Otherwise the gulf between lands was calm and still, reflecting the sunset so that it stretched over most of Naruto's vision.

Not that he saw of course. He merely saw an area where there were no hostile or allied presence. He was watching the house. Having spent the majority of the day hidden away in a half daze until he could search for Gato's base of operations in the night, he had instead decided to watch what counted as their base of operations.

He was about to move out when his hearing picked up on angry shouts coming from the house. He readied his bow just in case when the door burst open and one of the genin team ran out, frustrated anger written all over his face.

He passed within a foot of Naruto's position. Muttering under his breath as he went, angrily slashing at foliage within reach with a kunai.

Now faced with a choice, Naruto's mind quickly decided what to do. Scoping out Gato's base was a secondary objective, and protecting the team he was with a primary one. He followed the genin out into the forest.

He wasn't the best tracker in the world, more accustomed to hunting through forests of people in glades of buildings, but the genin made it easy. Slashes adorned branches as he went, cut leaves slashed. Naruto checked one or two of the notches as he went, noting the kunai was relatively blunt from its treatment.

He continued to follow the genin until he stopped running in a clearing. His path trampled through the meadow in the clearing, flowers ripped up by his angry footsteps.

The darkness gave Naruto time to hide better, and he kept watch as he watched the furious exercises the boy was doing.

Mousy brown hair shook as he moved through kunai routines, repeating each one several times whenever he made a mistake. He found a tree and began kicking and punching at it viciously.

Naruto was impassive. Training like this was unorthodox certainly, but could only prove useful. He wondered what could have driven the other boy to take such measures.

He hadn't failed a mission yet, so drive to improve by failure wasn't a factor. It was unlikely his sensei had ordered such training, and if he had he should be supervising it. His mind once more worked on possibilities.

It was confusing. There was no reason that he was doing this, no rational reason Naruto's mind could see at least. He did understand the harshness of the training though.

He remembered his younger days in the Root barracks, practising day and night to perfect the arts of his trade. He recalled the hours in the training halls, crossbow in hand as he shot and shot to perfect his aim. How he had gone out at night to learn how to adjust for wind and rain.

He recalled the harsh fights with the weapon instructors, trying to use the tanto blade to good effect. He recalled the pain. There had been a lot. The special training. The even more special training. The white hot pain.

He turned his attention back to the boy, who was shouting loudly as he assaulted another tree. The rough, unyielding bark was slowly cracking under the repeated blows he was sending at it, although Naruto could tell the boy was in pain.

He also noticed the vocabulary he was using was getting fouler by the moment. There were names too, a couple of them repeated over and over. So this had to do with his teammates? Maybe he wanted to catch up to them in prowess? But the bell test had shown him to be far superior to the female member of his team. The other member? Possible. Maybe this was his normal routine?

He watched with increasing fascination as the boy began flicking slowly through hand signs to try a jutsu. He activated the Byakugan without too much further thought. The chakra being formed was a muddy brown, so some sort of doton technique? He watched the chakra build in the genin in a sloppy and uncontrolled manner before a mud wall tried to raise itself from the ground.

He could see it was thin, to the point where the angry kick the boy aimed at it turned it into powdery dust.

He saw the boy do it again. And again. Each time the chakra within him gained was smaller and smaller, until nothing happened. Then the boy passed out. He was still breathing, just sleeping from exhaustion.

Ah well, better keep watch then. He looked up into the pitch black sky that nightfall had finally brought about. The light twinkles of the stars was present as he looked up, picking out formations of stars into shapes.

He didn't know why he did this. He just did, it was something to do to pass the time. He was good at waiting.


	6. Fire and Ice

Just as morning was breaking, his half sleep haze broke off and he snapped to alert as a figure in a pink kimono entered the clearing.

He raised the crossbow to his shoulder as the figure checked the meadow for something, a basket full of plants under their arm as they walked. They looked around the clearing and sighted the boy lying, now snoring gently in the clearing.

The pruning knife they were carrying gently moved as the grip was altered. The knife was raised as the figure knelt next to the boy.

The sharp twang of the crossbow going off resonated around the clearing. The figure was quick, and blocked the bolt with the pruning knife, the force of the projecting ripping it clean out of their fingers.

The next bolt was caught by a wall of ice.

"Come out or the genin dies. I don't want to kill him."

Naruto dropped from the trees, loaded crossbow pointing dead at the ninja's face.

"Drop your weapon."

"Drop yours first. You are in no danger, as I said, I don't want to fight."

Naruto lowered his bow very, very slowly. He distrusted the figure, a teenager by the looks of things. The pink dress and choker screamed girl, but that was irrelevant. They knew ice jutsu, which was unexpected.

With the bow lowered to his side, the figure looked at him, eyes slightly narrowed on the pale face.

"You're the person who attacked me before. How did I not sense you?"

"I'm good at hiding."

"You are. What's your name?"

"You expect me to say?"

"Not really now. I thought we could get along without killing each other. I don't like killing."

"Killing is my job."

The silence was total.

"I wasn't going to kill him you know. I'm just gathering herbs to use for healing. Surely even you recognise the sanctity of medic corps."

"An enemy is an enemy."

The look on the figure's face became harder and colder.

"I suggest you leave. He is waking up and I will kill him if you aren't gone back to the town before he fully wakes. I won't kill him if you leave and let us be."

Naruto considered the option. He could kill the figure, a relatively powerful ninja compared to the genin they held hostage, but at the cost of the genin's life.

He thought back to the situation with Hinata back in the debriefing. The Hokage's face of anger when he had threatened to harm another shinobi of Konoha had been so intense, so real.

And now he was effectively pointing his bow at another boy. He had no choice.

"Fine. If you do kill him, I will end your life."

"Fine. Now go."

He backed off and moved into the bushes at speed. About ten steps in he doubled back and took up position at a different edge, bow out and aimed.

He relaxed slightly when he saw that they were talking without any weapons drawn. It was odd. The enemy shinobi knew that the genin was an enemy, and yet was not killing them off. They had had the chance after all. They had a perfect opportunity.

He struggled to see the logic behind the action and drew a blank. Every possibility he could see lead to a favourable outcome if he were in his foes position unless getting the herbs was so essential that they couldn't even risk fighting.

But that didn't add up with the supposed injuries Zabuza had taken.

He ran the scenarios through his head again to check if he'd missed anything. He hadn't. That made no sense. The situation didn't make any sense.

Still, the figure was now gone. The team wouldn't be attacked for another few days at best, and well, they wouldn't exactly miss him if he were gone now would they? Perfect chance to trail the figure.

He waited till the genin had begun moving back towards the town, activated his Byakugan, and moved off in pursuit of the figure.

They were quick. He was working fairly hard to keep up at a good speed, and he silently cursed that he might not be able to keep up. Although his reactions were quick, he was built to assassinate, not chase and fight up close. He forced himself to move onwards, knowing that this would allow him the chance to complete his secondary objective when the time was right.

The figure wasn't expecting to be followed, and was taking a direct route towards the shoreline of the island nation. Naruto considered the fact that because Gato was blocking the shipping; it probably meant he had a base on the island.

The dock warehouses came into view on the horizon, and Naruto smiled. Lots of shadows, lots of rooftops, tons of cover. He could really get to work here if he wanted to. And could get in. The wire fence around the perimeter would be a stubborn obstacle.

The figure stopped running and pulled on the hunter-nin mask it had used before. It approached the compound's gates slowly and deliberately. The gates were opened, the figure walked in, and the gates were closed. Guards lined the towers, armed with bows and whatever equipment they used.

They had every above ground approach covered. Advancing in the day would be suicide. Naruto decided to sit and watch the compound until it was dark.

The hours past, as Naruto picked out guard routines and possible blind spots, trying to lip read when he had his Byakugan active. He kept it off mostly. After awhile, it depleted too much chakra and caused him to get splitting headaches. He'd learned that the hard way after his first mission.

The soft reds of the sunset began once again to appear on the horizon and he stretched out his muscles.

It was time to get to work.

* * *

The days passed without note. The genin were training and seemed to have settled down a bit. Kakashi was back to full strength and ready to fight again.

The nights though.

He felt the sensation he had felt before when he had been given a mission before. Even if there was no kill yet, Gato kept himself wrapped in layers of security and constantly had several guards around him, penetrating each layer, working out how to break each different protocol, working out hiding spots, weaknesses, exploitable holes. It was something he could do forever.

Learning the way the guards walked, their posture, their terrible misuse of language. Their codes and slang. He was compiling a statistical list in his head of how to become one of these people. Learning phrases he could use in tight spots or if questioned too hard. He found it fascinating, a study that would be tested every night when he infiltrated.

He was sure that he had finally worked it out. There was about a one minute window. It wasn't going to be dignified. It wouldn't be clean. But it would work. The only other way would be to just be invited in.

He slipped out under the cover of dark and took up a watch position over the gate. The sun was rising again, a hazy red glow on the horizon. That mean rain later. Some might consider

Then he saw the figures walking out of the gates.

The attack was this morning.

A knot of anticipation formed in his stomach. He had never seen how the average shinobi fought, especially high power ones. This would be fascinating. Although the accomplice would be a threat to the genin.

He set off back for the village, outpacing the two figures, which moved with a slowness that belied their mission.

He leapt through the trees at speed, heading straight for the village. Sometimes outright speed was needed as opposed to stealth.

Panting slightly, he barrelled through the open upstairs window of the house just as the first rays of sunlight streamed through the window.

Kakashi sat up quickly, Naruto didn't waste any time.

"They're coming."

Kakashi nodded.

"I'll wake my team and make sure they're ready. I want you to guard the house with a clone just in case anyone tries anything sneaky. I suspect Gato may try something after Zabuza, and want to be ready."

The shadow clone was dispatched to the roof.

"How good are you in a scrap?"

"In training I could hold my own against most sparring opponents, although against Zabuza's associate I may have difficulty, they are quicker than any opponent I have faced."

"Right. In which case pick your moment carefully and act as you see fit. I may not be your sensei, but I will say this. Those who abandon the mission are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are lower than trash. I expect you to step in to save my team when necessary, even if it means blowing your cover."

"Hai."

"We'll engage them at the bridge. Good luck."

"I will hold so the leaf may flourish."

In the time it took for Kakashi to register those words, Naruto was heading out of the cover of the tree line near the bridge. He knew exactly where he was going to hide, having observed the bridge. It was good to plan ahead.

He slipped into the hiding place he had prepared, and slid the crossbow into his hands. He felt once more the feeling he had felt on the way to the Wave course through him in a sudden wave.

It was good. It felt as though his nerves were being sparked into life with some new energy. He shifted to get rid of some of it, whatever it was; it was mucking up his breathing. He performed a breathing exercise he had been taught when he had first shown aptitude for the bow.

That had been seven years ago. Lord Danzo had accompanied him to the armoury to show Naruto all the weapons. He'd almost felt drawn to the weapon, and after being taught how to use it, had tried his first target exercise. He hit all the targets with the weapon, despite it being too big for him to really hold.

Lord Danzo had brought over another one of his shinobi to help instruct Naruto, and for years he had worked with the man to improve his skills. Seven years on and there was no shinobi as good with the weapon as Naruto.

His gloved hands ran tenderly over the smooth wood. The same bow as all those years ago. He'd never needed another one. He'd taken care of it. After the Hokage had treated it roughly, knocking it from his hands across the mission room floor, he had had to re-varnish it and clean the mechanisms. It was his weapon, closer to a part of his anatomy than anything else.

He looked down the sights and waited, it didn't take long for things to start happening.

The mist began to creep, like a thin wispy hand from away to his left, where the shipyard was. It crept around trees and engulfed bushes in its wake. Blinded by the mist, Naruto shut his eyes and listened.

The fox-hole he had dug in preparation had been entirely passed over by the mist. It was big enough for him, roughly dug out of the dirt.

The mist muffled the sounds slightly, but he could hear the pre-battle conversation. That was something he would have to get used to. Why talk before the fight? What was the point?

Soon afterwards, the sounds of combat began shortly afterwards. Naruto prepared himself for what could be his first direct engagement with an enemy shinobi.

He found himself having the slow his breathing, the sensation of his limbs electrifying once more flooding through him as he prepared to move out. Once the enemies were entrenched in combat, he could intervene more easily.

He found his hands itching to take hold of his weaponry, to get in and fight his foes whilst being able to see them in the eye.

He squashed the thoughts. That was not his role. That would be like trying to use a vial of poison as a club. It would get broken and its contents wasted.

No, his was the subtle role. His was the sharpened blade in the night. His was the genjutsu and the hidden strike. His was a role without glory, without honour. His was the task of getting the job done no matter the cost.

He calmed himself and let his mind take over the situation. From the sound of it, Kakashi had left the protection of the builder and the associate to his genin squad whilst he fought Zabuza. It was a good plan.

Getting involved in Kakashi's fight would be purposeless. The associate on the other hand.

He forced down the feeling that he needed to make that kill. After all, they were the first to ever survive when he had intended to kill someone, and had also been able to force his hand in a later meeting. Letting them live a third time would not be right.

He moved from the bolt hole at speed, moving through the mist to the genin's fight. The chakra mist still had his Byakugan blind, but he could tell.

The huge dome loomed into view before his eyes as he got closer, cloak whipping in the breeze as he ran. He caught the kunai that was thrown at him and pulled down the hood as he turned to his aggressor.

"Leaf! What is that dome?"

The pink haired girl gawked at him.

"Who are you?"

"Does it matter? What is in the dome?"

He studied it more closely. It was laced heavily with chakra, and seemed to glow like a pale blue-white sun before his Byakugan, completely overshadowing the mist.

"Sasuke-kun and the baka are in the dome. He just jumped in before it closed up. The person in there is trying to kill them!"

"Keep guarding the client."

Despite the danger, Tazuna still was annoyed.

"I have a name brat. How old are you? Who are you even?"

"I don't care at the moment in time. None of your business. I am a ghost."

The last few words came out of nowhere. But they worked. He inspected the dome. There were gaps between the giant hexagonal panels that made up the dome. He ran his hand over one of them, and wasn't too surprised to find it was made of ice.

_'Definitely the associate.'_

He tried to look through one of the gaps in the dome. The mist inside was thinner, but still clogged with chakra. He could vaguely make out the shapes of the two genin trying to ward off attacks fired in at them from all directions.

He analysed.

The dome let people in, and didn't stop them from entering. Judging by the senbon needles sticking out of both genin inside, escape was made impossible by the associate. The mirrors were hard to destroy, being encased in ice, and the associate could travel between them at will.

It was a very good attack strategy, aside from the giant, obvious, showy dome bit; it would be something he could use if he had the jutsu and bloodline. A mirror set up to escape to, and a mirror to escape through once the job was done. Leaving only water as a trace.

Ways to stop it?

He watched the associate appear in the mirror opposite his position, and then throw a few needles at the besieged genin, who tried to deflect them back to back. The Uchiha was having a better time of it, and Naruto was intrigued to see that his eyes now had the Sharingan.

Even so, the associate was wearing them down; both were panting badly, their injuries starting to get to them.

He had to act fast, even if it meant a more drawn out battle. He dove through the gap he was next to and into the dome.

The genin saw him enter, deflecting the path of another wave of senbon with his cloak, using it as a shield. The dark grey cloth was ripped by the needles, but it did enough to stop the light projectiles from doing damage.

The brown haired one just stared at him, and only just got to his senses in time to mostly avoid a wave of senbon.

"Who are?"

"Shut up and focus. I can sense where he is coming from before he reaches the mirror. Just block until I can get him."

"How are you going to do t...?"

"Shut up and block."

"But?"

Naruto didn't bother giving an answer, using a kunai to stop the needles of ice the associate was using, the small residue chakra from the shaping let him see them more clearly.

He had a plan. He actually had several plans, each ready for the next step this foe took. He swung round ready to fire his bow one handed, but the brown haired genin was in the way.

This, he suspected, was something he might have to get used to. Teammates getting in the way.

The Uchiha blocked most of another wave of senbon, taking one to the shoulder.

"Dobe, this guy will kill you if you don't speed up."

"Which one teme?"

"Either."

The associate had paused in their attacks, and was circling them in the mirrors, wary of the crossbow. Naruto kept the Byakugan tracking the position in the mirrors. Less of a figure, more a mass of chakra that leapt from mirror to mirror, making it brighter than the others.

He moved his hands in a series of signs out of sight of the other two genin. The less they knew about this the better.

He held the final sign as he mentally crafted the genjutsu and held it back until the right moment.

The associate sat in one place too long. He sent the genjutsu into the mirror and waited to see if it had worked.

_'Hopefully they can't dispel the jutsu without ending their own jutsu.'_

"Why has he stopped attacking?"

"Shut up. Must you always question?"

The senbon came at them again, the brown haired genin taking another to the leg. Before he cried out in pain Naruto stuffed the hem of his cloak into the boy's mouth. He leaned right down next to his ear and whispered as quietly as he could.

"Right now, the only way we can be tracked is by noise. So don't make any. Try and sneak out whilst you can."

The brown haired genin got the message and moved as quietly as they could towards the edge of the dome. Naruto watched through the thin inner mist to see the figures response.

Blinded by the genjutsu flooding the interior of the dome with shadowy darkness and unable to dispel it, the figure was hunting by sound. Given their mentor, it was something they were likely to be proficient at.

The brown haired figure was a few inches from a gap when they stepped on a twig. The nearest dome flared with chakra, and Naruto fired a bolt straight for it.

The associate threw the senbon point blank into the genin, peppering him with needles. But they couldn't sense the bolt until they felt it impact. By which point, it was far too late.

The steel bolt slammed into and cracked the mask, before puncturing the associates face between the eyes. Blood ran from the wound as they fell to the ground, the ice mirrors melting swiftly as the jutsu ended.

Naruto ran over to the brown haired genin to check his injuries. He was alive, but the last salvo had hurt him badly. He turned to the pink haired girl.

"You, down here. Treat him. Now."

"But Sasuke-kun is..."

"More alive than your other teammate. Now."

He didn't bother checking as he moved towards the sounds of Kakashi's fight. It came into view just as Kakashi ended it.

* * *

The wet sizzling sound of a lightning charged hand being withdrawn from a chest could be heard before Zabuza hit the ground.

Kakashi wiped his hand absentmindedly on his pants, as if he were cleaning something off them. The lightning based jutsu meant that no such entrails existed, but he did it anyway.

He assessed where he was physically. He was alive, a couple of cuts but nothing too bad. He was also badly exhausted, only fighting Zabuza beforehand had allowed him last this long. If anyone else showed up he would be in trouble.

The mist began to clear as the jutsu began to fade, and his heart sank as figures began entering his view from the bridge.

He looked round for his team. Sakura was trying to get some life out of the two boys, and Tazuna was staring at the bridge with a grim expression on his face. Naruto was nowhere to be seen.

"Tazuna, to me. Looks like I'm the only one that can protect you now."

The older man moved in behind him.

"How are you holding up?"

"Well enough."

"Well enough to face down two hundred thugs?"

Kakashi grimaced. The odds were heavily against him, and he was very much alone. Then he heard the mocking clap.

At the back of the crowd, on a raised platform that was being rolled slowly forwards so his short stature could be seen over his hired hands, Gato slapped pudgy hands together slowly and mockingly.

"Well done. You rid me of all my pay obstacles and leave me with an easy victory. Now...I am not without leniency. I am a gracious man."

His hired goons chuckled. Kakashi found himself nauseous at the situation.

"Kill the bridge builder for me and I let you and your team live. I have no quarrel with Konoha, so I offer you the chance to live."

"Never."

"I tried. Lads, feel free to mete out whatever justice you feel like, to anyone you meet for the next few hours."

Dark laughter erupted from the goons. Kakashi readied himself for a final push, readying tired and cramping limbs for one final push. He was fairly sure that if he was able to take out a good twenty of them quickly the rest would be a little too cautious, letting him take the advantage.

Then Tazuna died.

Haku had somehow come out of nowhere and sunk a senbon needle into his neck. There was blood and Tazuna was very, very still.

Haku rose and walked towards the stunned crowd of mercenaries.

"Do not worry yourself with this fight Konoha-san, your mission has failed. The leaf wilts in autumn.

Gato-sama, it appears my master fell during the fighting. I have nowhere to go for the moment, so is it possible we might retire to the hideout to celebrate our victory? With the builder dead it will be easy to maintain subjugation of Wave."

Gato stroked his chin in mock contemplation.

"Yes Haku, we shall go back and celebrate your victory! I also have payment to give you of course."

The party of thugs departed to the boats and began to return to the shipping yards of their hideout.

Kakashi dropped to one knee in exhaustion before checking on Tazuna. He reached a pair of fingers down to his neck and removed the senbon needle. Then he checked his pulse. It was there. Weak, but there.

The older man groaned.

"What just happened?"

"I'll explain when everyone is safe. Right now, I suspect Gato is in more trouble than he thinks."


	7. A Feast of Problems

Naruto concentrated. He was lucky that the associate, Haku, Gato had called him, was supposed to be in mourning. It made the fact he didn't have to talk much easier.

Henged into his form, he did talk with Haku's voice. It was difficult wearing someone else's voice though; the words still formed the same but sounded wrong. He was also glad for the mask, something he'd quickly stripped from the corpse when he'd realised the situation. The fact it was cracked from his shot seemed to add to the authenticity of his fight. He could add exhaustion to the list of reasons he wouldn't be talking much.

So he found himself sitting in one of the warehouses that had been turned into a dirty makeshift banqueting hall surrounded by lowlife thugs. Next to him was the suited Gato, hands clasped on a fine goblet which he drank heavily from.

The victory celebration was going on long into the night. Sake and other strange drinks had been produced by the barrel by Gato, to raucous cheers to his hired thugs. Then a great quantity of roasted meats had appeared.

As the drink flowed and food was consumed, the common thugs were entertained by a variety of ladies wearing a bare minimum of clothing. Naruto didn't fully understand what was going on, and waited.

He was improvising. Before he would have gone in quietly and killed the man off in his sleep, but he'd been forced to improvise. He'd never had to do that before.

He looked down at his plate; the food barely touched and tried to concentrate. A greasy hand took his in what he assumed was meant to be a comforting way.

"Haku, Zabuza was a fine man. It must have been hard losing him."

"He was my master, without him I feel purposeless."

The hand patted his own again. It was like being engulfed in grease. He felt somewhat sick. The man's breath was horrendous, and he dared not look to see the man's face.

"You're fully welcome to stay with my company until you know what to do. You're useful, a real killer like your master was. Come, I wish to discuss my proposals further away from my men. Needless to say they'd be jealous if they heard the offer I was going to make."

He allowed his hand to be taken as Gato led him from the room and out towards his quarters. A couple of brutes with huge weapons parted to let him through, sharing a dark chuckle.

Naruto found himself alone with the vile man. He could unhenge now and just be done with it, but timing was everything.

Gato lit a cigar and blew a huge cloud of smoke into the air. The lighting was dimmer than he expected for the gangsters quarters. Then he realised a potential reason. The thought sickened him as the man walked slowly round him, like a shark circling its prey.

"You know, Zabuza protected you more than you know. He treated you like a child, like a father might protect his _daughter_."

Naruto tried to hold himself together. He could feel his hand twitching, wanting to become himself again and kill the man before him. He felt hatred welling up. He had never felt anything like it before.

Sometimes he felt a mild annoyance when people were stupid and did stupid things. This felt entirely different. If the annoyance was like a buzzing that didn't go away, then this was an inferno that seared inside him.

"It must have been a lonely life for such a sweet young girl as yourself. Perhaps you would like me to comfort you on this dark night?"

His hands crept round his shoulders and tried to give a reassuring massage. It felt like being clamped by a pair of fat claws. He felt the hand descend down his chest. He knew he had to wait as long as possible before killing the man.

"Don't worry, I can be like a father to you, I'll take care of you...stay with me tonight and I can make it all feel...better."

The hand kept descending as the other tried to undo the clothing at the back. He felt the man's hideous breath on his neck.

That tore it.

In the space of half a second Naruto unhenged, drew the tanto from his back and slashed Gato's throat out.

Gato didn't even have time to look surprised before the blood loss and shock killed him and he fell to the floor. Naruto felt the edges of his cloak get slightly wet in the blood from the floor as he planned his next move. Simply killing Gato wouldn't be enough right now, security would still be tight. There was no way out other than the front door.

Ah well, more of this improvising stuff.

He shoved Gato's corpse under the bed and rolled the expensive but now ruined carpet around him as he did so. That hid most of the evidence. Then he henged again, taking on the form of Gato.

He thumped a table, and then overturned it into a filing cabinet, causing it to clatter to the ground before he cursed filthily.

The guards outside his quarters burst in, weapons drawn.

"What's wrong boss?"

"The girl! Did you stop the fucking girl?"

"What girl?"

Naruto fought the man's vocal chords into a roar.

"The one that just escaped me! She addled my head with a ninja trick then ran out! Did you two idiots not see her? What the hell do I pay you for? Find her and bring her to me!"

The guards were not paid to think, and headed off into the compound for the missing Haku.

He de-henged again, and pulled the carpet rolled corpse from under the bed and put it back roughly where it had been. Taking an ugly, brutish weapon that he kept in the room, he blooded it in Gato's neck then left it next to the body. He ghosted out of the room and henged again.

In the form of one of the guards, he ran as best he could towards the banquet hall. It was difficult to run in a form you were unused to, and the guard was nearly twice his height and at least 3 times his weight. He wondered how people this size coped with having no subtlety briefly as he prepared his shout.

He burst through the doors as loudly as he could and fell onto a table, sending it crashing to the ground, food and drink flying everywhere.

He rose; the commotion caused making him the centre of attention. He fought off the feeling he had been somehow discovered to use the fact he had everyone's attention.

"Someone's killed the boss! We went off chasing the stupid girl and someone killed him!"

There was commotion. Men who before had been dancing and singing as comrades eyed one another suspiciously. It didn't take long for accusations to start flying between the men.

It took not much longer after that for the first punch to be thrown, and then weapons were drawn. The entertaining girls screamed as a bloodthirsty melee began. Fuelled by tensions between the hired thugs, and the liberal amounts of alcohol they had imbibed, the fight escalated to contain the whole compound.

After all, some of them had realised that with the boss dead, the quickest way to make money would be to grab lots and run.

Of course, by that time, Naruto had unhenged again and was making his way out of the compound.

He kept to the shadows of the crates, watching the fighting spread throughout the compound. Some of the men were quietly looting buildings and trying to escape, whilst other men went around trying to restore order. Then there were the few who just wanted to see the world run red with blood.

Naruto slipped out under the fence surrounding the compound and made his way back up to the rise he had used to scope out the compound in the first place.

The angry shouts and commotion could be heard from the compound, and someone had started a fire in one of the warehouses. That was regrettable, but he had been improvising.

He took stock. He had made one direct kill in the heat of the moment, and crippled the strength of the thugs indirectly. Gato was dead. Overall, successful. He suspected Kakashi would be less pleased.

He regathered his thoughts as he moved through the trees. The anger had been new, except it felt more intense than that. Then there was another feeling,

The happiness...that was the word, he had used to describe completing a mission was there, but it felt...different. It was better; it was as if something about his earlier feelings had been sated.

It felt right. He relived the kill moment, working out if it could have been done better. He found himself getting a rough feeling, like the roar of a great beast when the blade turned the man's throat to paste and kept going.

A sense of...rightness when he saw the pathetic corpse his blow had left.

It felt...gah. He needed new words for this. Or someone to talk to about these emotions he was feeling.

* * *

Kakashi left Sakura looking after her sleeping teammates. Both would live, that much was certain. Both would definitely be sore for a few days.

He walked through Tazuna's house, past the room where Tazuna himself was just about sitting up.

Naruto's needle had been pretty superfluous, but a neck wound was a neck wound. The subtle knockout blow had genuinely concussed the man. That had been a bit overboard, but then again, Naruto had been improvising. Probably. At least he hoped so because having that as a plan was frankly insane.

He himself was walking fine, the cuts from his fight with Zabuza more or less healed. He drew out his book and walked out of the house, heading for the shoreline. He glance briefly at where the bridge building team was working. Progress was going well; the bridge would soon be finished. There was a thin pall of smoke on the horizon too.

He sat at the lakeside near the tree line, where the battle had taken place.

He heard the ruffling of a cloak behind him.

"Your back. Is Gato dead?"

"Yes."

"You do realise you broke your mission protocol right? What if a bandit or two had managed to sneak up on Tazuna or my team whilst you were distracted?"

"It wouldn't have been logical for them to have. Plus I stopped the town being destroyed and the builder being killed."

"You nearly killed him."

"If I wanted to kill him I would have killed him."

"Well yes, that's what you do. You did well, although a little more warning next time would be appreciated."

"I'm not used to working with others. They're sloppy and get in the way."

Kakashi sighed. This was something he'd been worried about.

"Sakura has no idea what happened in the dome. All I know is you went in, killed Haku and left Sasuke and ..."

"Alive. The other one made a mistake whilst escaping."

"I think you used him as a distraction. That doesn't sit well with me."

"I wanted him to escape. When he made the mistake, I capitalised."

Kakashi found himself wanting to raise his voice. He realised that would probably be a bad idea. Naruto's voice hadn't changed at all. It was still flat and emotionless.

"We'll see. You know Sakura isn't entirely sure you actually exist. You didn't identify yourself more than your headband."

"Neither do ANBU. Knowledge is power."

"You're not ANBU; you're a thirteen year old shinobi of Konoha."

There was a brief silence.

"How did you kill Gato? I assume you used your disguise as Haku to get inside the base?"

"It wasn't my original plan, but yes. I had to hold the henge for a few hours."

Kakashi whistled under his breath.

"Good control, not just the henge, most ninja can do that for a long time. The acting. For someone with no understanding of humanity you know how to mimic people well."

"It was fortunate that the associate was a reserved character."

"Haku you mean?"

"Yes, I refer to her mentally as the associate."

"You don't like names do you?"

"They have some use, but...never understood why we need them. Numbering would be more efficient."

"It's to do with personality and being human."

"I thought being human had to do with our DNA."

"It's more than that."

"How?"

"Difficult to explain."

"So you can't prove your point?"

"It's like proving the wind."

"That's easy."

"Look, its true and just leave it at that."

"That's illogical."

"Deal with it. We're off topic; you killed him without implicating Konoha which is good."

Naruto processed that for later.

"Am I required further for the mission?"

"How depleted would you say Gato's forces are?"

"Well, Gato is dead, and a mass brawl broke out after I broke the news. I saw at least a dozen dead, several dozen more fighting and quite a bit of looting. I'd say they're either dead, dying or running off with the money. A small number might remain, but nothing significant."

"Then you're probably done here. That said, as your superior I'm going to pull rank and keep you here."

"What mission do you have for me?"

"No mission. I just want you to rest, relax, and possibly have a full night's sleep. I can see your face, even if it is hidden in shadows. You haven't slept properly for at least a week, maybe more. Maybe you never have. You also smell of blood and dirt. Also I'd like you to talk to my team."

"What kind of mission is that?"

"Well it's partly to get you talking to people in a non-mission context some more, and partly so they get some idea that someone their own age is a better ninja than them by some distance."

"I doubt I could beat any of them in a straight spar."

"Give it a go. One last thing. I showed you my face, which is something not many have seen. Consider that a sign of my trust. I would like to see your stomach."

Naruto paused. _That_ was definitely classed as something he didn't trust people with the knowledge of. That was also something he hadn't expected the man to know. He briefly recalled the hazy days of his young childhood, of the looks the orphanage owners had given him. Some muttered words too.

Then slightly older, being talked to by someone who seemed to know him inside out despite being a stranger to him. Lord Danzo...he had no idea who he was then. Then the procedures. The pain.

He realised he had been silent for a minute.

"Well?"

"A sign of trust? A sign that you and I understand each other on a deeper level that we are in some way alike? That I can expect you to never betray me?"

"That's what trust is. By the way that's the longest non-mission related sentence I've ever heard you speak."

Naruto unfastened the cloak and pulled up the tight black shirt he wore underneath.

Kakashi's eye took in all the details of the seal. It looked like...

"Are there two seals?"

"Yes."

"I see. The outer one looks particularly formidable."

"It is."

"I won't ask more."

Naruto had the shirt over his chest and cloak around him quickly.

"Right, go and complete your mission. Preferably the bath first. Seriously. You smell horrific."

"Hai."

And Naruto had moved off into the trees, a black moving figure on the grass and then gone into the trees.

Kakashi returned his attention to his book, enjoying the feel of the sun.

* * *

Sakura sat watching over her teammates. Well, one of them at least. She was staring at Sasuke's face, seemingly a bit lost in his face. The room darkened for a moment, and she looked towards the door.

It hadn't moved.

Then the window.

It was open, but she didn't think it had.

Then she threw a glance over her shoulder and screamed for the few moments it took for Naruto's gloved hands to slap her in the face.

"Shh. They're sleeping."

She swung a fist at the sudden black cloaked intruder which he caught.

"I'm the shinobi from the fight."

He didn't entirely understand the look on her face, and acted quickly to catch the other fist that swung at him.

"Stop it, why are you attacking me?"

Sakura did her best not to shout and failed pretty badly.

"You slapped me!"

"You were going to wake them. They need rest."

He neatly trapped the leg Sakura tried to kick him with and locked it with one of his own. The combination of arm locks and the leg entrapment brought them close. Naruto took in the experience. It was uncomfortable, and she smelt too nice.

"Let me go."

"When you stop trying to hurt me. This is the second time I've met you and you've tried to kill me both times. Is this how I'm meant to great people my age?"

"What? No. No. No. Just...let go of me!"

He relinquished the holds and backed off. She rubbed her limbs where the holds had hurt her.

There was a silence as she looked him over. Still in the same combination of blacks and greys as the same night, he looked...kinda shabby in the light.

Shabby but tense though. She gave up trying to see the majority of his face under the hood, and used all her senses. Primarily smell.

"Why do you smell of dirt and blood?"

"Killed someone after lying on the ground."

"Didn't you wash your clothes? Try on a new set?"

"Didn't bring a spare. I did try washing."

"What?"

"Didn't bring a spare, but I did try washing."

Sakura just stared at him in a mix of horror and wonderment.

"Can I see your face?"

"Yes."

"Well, show me then."

He dropped the hood. She recoiled slightly.

"What shampoo do you use?"

"What's shampoo?"

"What?"

She said that loudly enough that his ears rang a little.

"Shhh, no shouting."

"Sorry...what are you?"

"Human."

"Are you related to Kakashi-sensei?"

"No."

"But the eye-patch?"

"I lost an eye."

"How?"

"Training."

She shivered. He was just not right. There was more silence. Naruto decided that he would try starting the conversation.

"So what's your favourite form of training?"

She looked at him as if he had suggested unimaginable horror.

"None, I like spending time with Sasuke-kun. He's so perfect and he's going to be a great ninja and be the best and he's so much better than everyone else, especially the other baka."

"What do you like about Sasuke?"

"He's so perfect and dreamy and handsome and strong and awesome and..."

Naruto zoned out. His mind was recoiling in horror at what was happening. Words he had never heard before went into his mind which for once struggled to try and catalogue them all. He realised he hadn't been listening at all.

"Why?"

"He just is. Don't be like the baka!"

"Baka trains harder than you."

"Only because he was the dead last."

"The dead last? But he's alive."

She rolled her eyes.

"The worst in our graduation class. The most useless."

There was a groan from the direction of the sleeping mats. The brown haired genin had opened his eyes slightly and tilted his head in their direction.

"Sakura-chan...quieter please."

She looked slightly embarrassed. The brown haired boy looked towards Naruto.

"You?"

"Yes. Me."

"Did you kill Haku?"

"Yes. He nearly killed you."

"Couldn't you have just disabled Haku?"

"Yes, but he was an enemy and a threat."

"You didn't need to kill him."

"Killing is my job."

"You didn't need to."

The boy tried to rise, but his injuries quickly caught up with him, he gave a grunt of pain before he lay back down.

"Silly baka, don't strain yourself. Tsunami will shout at you if you rip your bandages again."

"But Sakura-chan, I have to train."

Naruto observed the exchange. Baka seemed to be trying to get on her good side, whilst she showed no such restraint. From his perspective, she seemed dominant and was giving him a telling off.

It was like watching one of his old instructors deliver a punishment to a failed exercise, only without the immense physical pain. But there was something different again. Like it didn't matter for some reason and was actually positive.

Other people were illogical.

There was another groan as Sakura's voice rose a bit too far.

"Dobe...Sakura...shut up."

"Sasuke-kun!"

Sakura hugged his prone form, and even Naruto could tell he was unhappy about this. He grunted, pushing her away. The grunt was very obviously from pain, but she seemed to think it was impressive, and cooed over him.

Naruto looked over at the brown haired one, who looked at him with an odd expression on his face before making an odd gesture by poking his finger into his mouth and retching.

Naruto just about understood the gesture. It lacked all the subtlety and grace of the Root sign language, even if there was not specific code for _'that makes me want to vomit'_. It was rough and crude...and understandable.

"Are you ok?"

"Just fine."

The way he said it was different, but if he said he was fine he was fine by Naruto's guess.

Realising there wasn't much more for him to do there, he disappeared through the window.

The brown haired genin coughed loudly to get the attention of his talkative and silent teammates.

"Sakura-chan, who is that guy?"

She thought for a moment.

"I don't know his name. He said he was a ghost when I first met him."

"You mean you just talked to him and didn't even ask his name?"

Sakura readied her fist for a much easier strike when Sasuke made another dismissive grunt. Her attention diverted, her target was able to drift back to sleep.


	8. Debrief

Team 7 re-entered the village after the trek back from the Wave country. The clouds sat heavy and grey in the sky, the air heavy and thick with the promise of rain to come.

Kakashi lazily dismissed the team as he headed off to debrief the mission. As he wandered off towards the tower, his team decided what to do. Sakura decided that now was as good a time as any.

"Sasuke-kun, do you want to get something to eat?"

"Hnn, not really. I'm going home."

"Want me to come with you?"

"You live in the other direction, don't bother."

"Oh, ok."

She looked around for her other teammate, whom she had no doubt had been building for his own attempt at asking her for the same.

She was surprised to see that he had gone entirely.

* * *

It was dark by the time Kakashi was going through the final debriefing steps in the Hokage's office. The clouds from earlier had thickened and burst, and the rain fell freely onto the town below. Fat drops splashed off concrete and wood, soaking into the ground turning dirt into thick muddy paste.

Civilians scurried in the dark, moving quickly from cover to cover as they carried out whatever errands they had to do. Kakashi looked out as the Hokage read his report. He envied the people sometimes. Easier lives, less risk of death, all the time in the world to enjoy books.

The report was fairly standard, as far as C-rank missions that got bumped up to A-rank went. Kakashi was a ninja of A-rank, possibly verging on S-rank in the books. He was capable of completing such missions on his own. His report was entirely from his perspective, excluding a small paragraph at the bottom of the page about the performance of his team.

"So Kakashi, and I quote; _'Team performed adequately in combat, subduing a ninja of superior skill by use of tactics and persistence.' _Interesting way of putting it. It would be remiss of me not to question further the role of your team. I might just use this opportunity to ask about their progress."

Kakashi sighed. This was the bit he hadn't been looking forward to. This was the bit where he had to actually think about things.

"What kind of ninja did they subdue? Who subdued them? How? What jutsu were they able to employ?"

"In the initial engagement, they acted together to get me out of a water prison jutsu at short notice, evading Zabuza before killing his water clone.

During the second engagement, I didn't see the fight due to my preoccupation with a swordsman of the mist. From my knowledge of the assailant, they were quick and used ice release jutsu."

"I thought the entire clan was dead."

"They weren't. They might be now."

"Regardless, surely you got a report from the team?"

"I did, Sakura was forthcoming with her version of the battle."

"And?"

"She guarded the bridge builder against all threats admirably whilst her teammates engaged the enemy. Her vision of the battle was obscured, but she saw the outcome, which I noted down in the report."

"Indeed. Your other genin?"

"Were too wounded after the battle to give me their account. I never got round to it, the right moment never came up. I had to help rescue an old lady from..."

"I see. Unfortunate."

"It is, I think that concludes the debrief. The team is doing well."

Kakashi got up and made his way towards the door.

The Hokage put down his pipe, tipping the ash into the tray on his desk before he looked back at Kakashi.

"It does, except for one more matter."

"Which is?"

"The fact that I have another report about this mission still to go through. With Naruto. And since he heard your report it's only fair that you hear his don't you think?"

Kakashi shut the door and sat back down. Hiruzen examined him. He looked...tired. He looked, out of it.

"Come out Naruto, I know you're in the curtains."

He duly detached himself from the shadows of the fabric and came to stand in front of the desk. The Hokage motioned to the second chair in his office.

"Sit down Naruto."

"May I stand?"

"Yes, but you'd probably be more comfortable if you sat."

He remained standing; a dark shadow in a room that the Hokage suddenly noticed was quite dark. He reached for the light switch under his desk, a useful bit of installation he kept ready if he wished to turn it off without getting up. It did not function as intended.

"Naruto did you break the ceiling light?"

"Yes. I don't like bright lights when it's night."

"You really shouldn't do that."

"Apologies."

"Anyway, you are both frustrating. One of you for your laziness, the other for his sheer lack of appreciation for normal human boundaries and etiquette. Naruto, do you have a written report?"

"No."

The Hokage relit his pipe. It was going to be a long night. He reached into the small hidden draw that contained a much stronger breed of tobacco that he knew was bad for him. But it was going to be necessary.

He lit it and enjoyed the hit of the stronger flavour before blowing smoke. It wasn't like he was going to live forever anyway.

"You do know a written report is required."

"Given I am off the records and without rank, it would not fit into the filing system. I do not wish to appear beyond the absolute necessity."

"Tough. Your previous employment may not have required it, but I do. Write it for me as soon as possible please. In the mean time, give it verbally, and since I know most of what happened, I'll ask you directly.

What activities did you undergo during the mission from your arrival?"

Naruto couldn't be seen to move, but noise came out from under the hood. With only the light from his desk, the Hokage couldn't even see his chin under the hood to give indication of talking. He definitely needed more lights as backup. It was a little unnerving when you could see nothing but darkness under the hood.

"I arrived and was given a briefing by Kakashi-taicho."

"Taicho?"

"He was effectively captain of multiples squads for this mission."

"Fair enough. Continue."

"I was given orders to protect the bridge builder and the team, and otherwise infiltrate Gato's base as a secondary objective if I could."

Hiruzen turned to Kakashi.

"You ordered him to take out Gato? You do realise that his company though doubtless corrupt, had a strong share in Konoha's merchant quarter? If that share falls into the wrong hands, Konoha could be crippled economically, even if most of our income is derived from missions and shinobi work."

"I thought it might help our mission. If anything I didn't expect him to be able to."

"Ok. What happened next?"

"From the time between arrival and the fight, I either protected the team or scouted Gato's base. On one occasion I encountered Zabuza's associate Haku, whom I was unable to prevent from gathering medical supplies due to one of his team being held hostage in his sleep."

Hiruzen didn't even look surprised when he turned to Kakashi.

"How does that even happen?"

"He doesn't get on well with Sasuke to start with, and the conversation at one stage ran over a sensitive topic of conversation that set him off. He left and ran out into the forest, returning the next morning."

"You didn't talk to him?"

"He seemed ok."

"Alright...continue Naruto."

"He had trained vigorously, excessively actually. Then slept through exhaustion. He survived the encounter, Haku's behaviour was odd."

"How?"

"He didn't kill him in his sleep instantly like I would have."

"Oh. Continue?"

"After that incident, I worked out Gato's compound and had formulated a plan to kill him. However the attack happened before I could enact it. I brought warning to Kakashi, allowing him to intercept and engage Zabuza alone whilst his genin attempted to take on Haku."

"Attempted?"

"Haku used an imprisoning dome of ice mirrors which he could shift between quickly, along with senbon to attack the two genin."

"Interesting, how were they doing before you arrived?"

"The Uchiha had awakened his sharingan, and was faring better, but both of them where not coping well with the situation. Neither of them had a plan to attack and were defending but taking damage. I estimate they had another five minutes at best before they were disabled."

"Your assessment then?"

"Either Kakashi kills Zabuza and then protects the builder from Haku, or Haku wins first and the genin and bridge builder dies."

"The third genin, Sakura yes? She could have stalled Haku for enough time for Kakashi to deal with Zabuza?"

"No. She would have died without striking a blow."

"A bleak assessment."

"I only make assessments I think are accurate."

Hiruzen saw Kakashi shrink a little further back into his chair, a pained sigh escaping him.

"Ok, so you intervened?"

"Yes, I entered the dome and applied a genjutsu to Haku. I believed that he could not remove the genjutsu without disrupting his own technique."

"That's a significant gamble Naruto."

"It was the quickest option I could use. I had backup plans to use, but they were less favourable."

"Your genjutsu?"

"A variant of my shadow enhancing technique, I flooded the dome with shadow to his mind such that he was blinded. After quieting the genin, I considered my options.

I believed that the genin were too injured to continue fighting, so asked the more injured one to evacuate through gaps between the ice mirrors. Unfortunately he made noise next to the mirror, and Haku moved to attack him directly.

I predicted his attack and shot him as he appeared from the mirror, unfortunately his attack was completed and the genin took a direct salvo of 10 senbon. However he survived and Haku was dead."

Kakashi coughed.

"You wish to interject Kakashi? I'm finding Naruto's account quite informative as to the combat that took place. A bit less technical than your fight but compelling."

"I wish to suggest that Naruto isn't telling his part correctly."

That got a raised eyebrow.

"I suggest that Naruto used him as bait."

"That is actually quite a serious accusation. Did you use him as bait Naruto?"

"I did not. I wanted him and the other to escape such that I could engage Haku better alone. I don't work well with others."

"But you know how others might react to situations?"

"Mostly. Other people sometimes make mistakes, but usually are predictable."

"But you refute using him as bait?"

"Yes."

"Well Kakashi, he denies your accusation. Why do you make such an assertion?"

Kakashi didn't flinch from the tone of voice.

"Gut feeling. It just seems like expecting an injured genin to stealth his way out is a poor play I wouldn't expect Naruto to call."

_'Very clever Kakashi, cloaking your criticism with a complement as you might for any other person, but you mistake Naruto for someone who'll pick that up.'_

Naruto continued not to show any signs.

"I made the right call."

"Admit that you used him as bait. Admit you made the mistake, even if it did end up working out."

"I did not use him as bait."

The Hokage held up a hand.

"Regardless, let's put that aside for now. Now Naruto, Kakashi's report states you then nearly killed the client and infiltrated Gato's base. I'd like to hear about that."

"After finishing my fight, I moved to assist Kakashi, but he finished his fight just as I got there. Gato arrived with at least a hundred men. Kakashi was tired, his genin were not combat ready, and the client was vulnerable. I worked out a possible plan, given that Gato was unaware that Haku was dead, and enacted it without delay."

"That plan being to assault the client, nearly kill him, and distract Gato?"

"It was also to prevent further combat, which heavily favoured our enemies. Instead, I balanced the risks against the potential rewards for my various possible actions and enacted the most favourable outcome."

"That's remarkably clear thinking for someone of your age and experience, especially with the given threat."

"Thank you Hokage-sama."

Kakashi merely shrugged.

"Now, when you infiltrated Gato's compound?"

"I sat through their victory feast, before Gato invited me back into his private chambers. I believe he thought Haku was a girl, and started trying to undress me."

"He what?"

"Tried to undress me, I believe with a view towards reproductive actions taking place."

There was silence. Kakashi broke it, his voice little more than a growl.

"Bastard."

"Agreed Kakashi, such men should not be allowed to live. Then again, should we have expected anything more? What happened next?"

"Once he had committed too far to the action, I unhenged and killed him with a blow to the throat using my tanto. It felt right, in a strange way."

"Strange how?"

"Like I was invulnerable."

"I know that feeling well Naruto."

Kakashi nodded in agreement.

"But it still ends up feeling hollow after awhile doesn't it Hokage-sama."

"Usually."

Naruto took in what the older men were saying. He did slightly understand, but he was debriefing. Now was not the time to consider such things.

"I then used the idea that someone had killed Gato to spread chaos in the camp using another two henged forms. When I left the compound was in chaos. I then returned to the village to report to Kakashi sensei."

The Hokage reloaded his pipe with another thick wad of the strong stuff.

"So overall, you nearly got a teammate killed and nearly killed the client, and used a risky and I assume improvised series of events to complete your objectives. You also caused collateral damage to the shipyards, killed a prominent businessman and caused nearly two hundred hired bandits to start a civil war in their camp."

"That is one way of putting it. I did what was necessary to complete the mission."

The Hokage struggled to find the right words. Naruto had completed the mission in a totally unorthodox manner, probably stepping over lines he would never have his regular forces think of crossing, but he had been successful.

'_So Danzo, this is how you have trained him. Complete the mission at all costs as well as possible.'_

In the end, he decided a chat with the wily bastard was in order, well, more in order than before.

"Well you completed the mission, and have likely rid of the world of a man who could later have been an issue. A couple more questions though.

What did you make of the genin on the team? Have the advanced since the test you observed in your first mission?"

"The Uchiha is the most similar to me, and has awakened his sharingan. However he didn't have a plan for Haku's attacks. The other genin trains hard, but is only average at best. The girl should be dead, or killed out of mercy before she actually has to go into a real fight."

The Hokage looked at Kakashi to see his expression. He was surprised to see that Kakashi was merely slumping into his chair, not offering any defiance.

"What jutsu could they use?"

"I saw them use no gen or nin jutsu. They know tree walking, but honestly have no other appreciable skills that I saw."

"Interesting, you are dismissed Naruto. Remember, that written report."

Naruto was gone in an instant, no doubt moving along the rooftops to wherever he went.

He turned back to Kakashi. The man looked tired, slumped in the chair, his hands gripping the arm rests loosely.

"Kakashi...your team is?"

"My team is bad. Permission to speak bluntly?"

"Given."

"Of my current team, I don't know if I know what to do with any of them. One is average, bland. He has the commitment, but he's bland and has nothing special about him yet. He has the one technique, but it's difficult to master, and since the only other known practitioner is dead...I can't help him. One is an obsessed fangirl, and Naruto did get it right. She should probably not be a ninja unless she takes it more seriously. The other is the worst though."

"I thought Sasuke was the best of his class? All reports show that he has good skills in all areas."

"He is the most like Naruto. Only the differences are stark. Naruto is good, but he's not arrogant. He just has no idea how other people work. Sasuke is arrogant. He's good, but he's arrogant. Naruto can't work with a team because he has no idea about emotion. Sasuke simply refuses to believe anyone else is worth working with. "

"They passed your test though."

"True, but I suspect Sasuke only went with it because he had to, and Sakura because she's a fangirl. She has potential but I fear I'd need to brainwash her to unlock it."

"Hmm."

"It gets worse. When Naruto arrived, I honestly preferred working with him. Despite his lack of knowledge of people, and ruthless streak, he's a good ninja. A very good ninja. He will likely continue to surpass everyone his age. I...wish I was his sensei and not that of my team."

The Hokage stroked his beard. He had seen a lot of ninja's whom the pressure was getting to. He'd seen newly promoted chunin break down because someone had died on their first of second mission. He'd seen jonin who'd just stopped because of things they'd seen. He'd seen people who had lost loved ones. He had lost loved ones.

And now he was seeing one of his elite break down over his team. One of his most fearless and brilliant shinobi struggling to cope with the challenge of his team.

He'd had a team once, there'd been problems, but he'd managed. Mostly. They'd all become legends by the time one of them went off the rails beyond redemption.

"I could always transfer you off sensei duty. Move you to be Naruto's sensei permanently. He's currently without one, and will need training to advance."

"You could?"

"I am the Hokage. Unless it bothers the civilians directly I can do whatever I want. Shinobi matters are my job."

"But would you?"

"No. You need to persevere here Kakashi. If you really want to train Naruto, then arrange it yourself. However I will not allow you to simply abandon your current team. Keep training them, and train them better because currently it's not going well."

"Hai."

"Go home and sleep Kakashi. You look like you need it."

"One last thing?"

"Of course. There always seems to be."

"Do you think Naruto used one of my team as bait?"

"Maybe. The thought definitely crossed his mind. Still though, I couldn't tell you for sure. Perhaps one of my T&I people could. If he did, it needs catching early."

Kakashi nodded and made his way out slowly, book rising into his hands magically to cover what parts of his face could not be seen.

Just before he left, he turned back one last time.

"Oh. Naruto might make a good addition to T&I now that you mention it. He got through the first two excuses. That's more than most people do."

The door clicked behind him as he left.

There were a few brief moments of silence where Hiruzen stared out of the window into the city. The rain had mostly stopped, and the clouds had broken just enough that the pale sliver of a moon shone through.

He looked out as he heard the footsteps of his final appointment coming in. He didn't really hear them. He knew the person walking was too careful to make noise unnecessarily.

There was a slight rustle as they took their seat.

"An interesting turn of events Hiruzen. It seems Team 7's mission to the Wave ended up killing Gato as a side product. My sources suggest his criminal empire is crumbling in all the other elemental nations.

Of course, my agents have moved to capitalise, and have seized as much as they can. Naturally this will work its way into Konoha in the usual way."

"Money into the hands of people, treasures as bribes and scrolls into obscure sections of the library?"

"Of course. I still think it was one of my finest bits of work to use the library as a place to drop off captured jutsu scrolls and the like."

"No-one ever thinks to wonder where they came from."

The sat in silence. Hiruzen reached for another wad of the rich tobacco.

"I hear you sent Naruto along to them as backup, he did well I take it?"

"Apparently. Kakashi was impressed you know. But it's not all good."

"He doesn't get along with others does he?"

"Well, the full list of his interactions with the other genin lead to one of them nearly dying, and another of them trying to hurt him before he restrained her."

"She's lucky then."

"Lucky?"

"Judging by her profile, and the report's details of her actions, it sounds like Naruto could very quickly have killed her if he had wanted to. In fact his instinct would have been to. Like he did for Zabuza's associate. Like he did with Gato and his thugs."

"He made two direct kills in this mission, and performed actions that lead to a further hundred at least if our reports are accurate. Children his age should not do that. Most genin don't make their first full kills until they reach chunin level where the stakes are raised."

"Naruto isn't a child. He's a shinobi. An assassin."

"He's human."

"He's a weapon. Even without the use of his asset he's a weapon."

"Do not mention the asset. It is his curse. It is why I gave him to you, even if I forbade you from teaching him to use it."

"He could be more. Imagine it. He sneaks in and unleashes a sudden hell on his foes. Imagine any foe suddenly having him appear and go off like a million explosive tags."

"No. He will not be a bomb."

The air was thick with the intent of both men. They looked each other in the eye for a long, long moment before it began to defuse. Danzo spoke first.

"I know. He's your soldier to command now. You admit he is good. Better than any of your common genin and most of your chunin."

"At what he does he is an A-rank ninja. But if he was caught, he's no better than a decent genin as a normal shinobi."

"He does what he does well. I suspect he'll keep doing so."

There was a moment of silence. The Hokage paused for a moment and then clapped his hands together gently.

"You knew what was going to happen. How long?"

"Since Gato got his first tendrils of power into Wave."

"What manipulations did you enact?"

"A few subtle ones. My operatives might have seeded Tazuna with the idea of a bridge, and ensured that Gato didn't try to destroy it directly until Konoha shinobi could make it there. From there, I knew Naruto could get in."

"Was Gato that much of a threat? He might have been rich, but Konoha could have squashed him with some ease had he got out of hand."

"He's a worm. A parasite. Eventually he would have gained enough money to catch the ears of the Daimyo. Money buys influence. Eventually we would have found him holding a larger stake in our futures. Making us a target. Better to kill the parasite before it grows. Nip it in the bud so to speak.

Plus, if he ever came to dislike us the consequences would be dire. We have enemies Hiruzen, hidden enemies who would see this village destroyed."

"Ironic that the root is strangling the flowers of that plant."

"Your mastery of the metaphorical is as sharp as ever."

"Your appreciation of the practical is as well. Still, did you really think Naruto would be the one to do what you needed? Did you really plan this from when Gato first entered the scene as a possible threat?"

"Yes. One day I hope Naruto does the same. He has a gift for the subtle, even if he doesn't know its full extent yet."

"You see him as a successor?"

"Leadership is in his blood."

There was a thoughtful pause before both men looked out over the dark city.


	9. Field Trip

**Sometime later**

The team shifted uncomfortably in the standard uniform for Konoha shinobi. Although variations on the general outfit of dark blue body glove and green vest, most shinobi tended to abandon those after the first couple of years.

After all, sometimes those flashy variations got people killed. Friends and team-mates too. The standard didn't get you paid a lot of attention, and was thus better at keeping you alive. It was pretty well designed as well, useful pockets and padding in just the right places, honed by years of shinobi making clever adjustments and passing them around.

Not that this team was used to the standard uniform. This was a team that spent most of its time in the tight, faceless grey of the Torture and Interrogation wing of the shinobi forces. They were the ones who loved the dark rooms and the indiscriminate noises. The surgical precision of their job.

Which is why they didn't like the standard uniform. It wasn't right for interrogation, and the fatigues were stiff and unusual. Effective, but not worn in, and altogether too colourful.

This mission was a fairly critical one. That was why they were going out to interrogate outside Konoha, as opposed to in their dark chambers, where unimaginable horror could be threatened to open a subject up. A thinker, given enough time, can crack someone. Anyone.

Being out in the sunlight, with a time limit? Much less welcoming. It needed a master.

They snapped to attention as their master approached. Standing at an imposing height, face marked by twin scars, Ibiki Morino was intimidating. His face bore a stern expression that unsettled people, as if he was staring through them, into their soul. Popular rumour that the official sources never truly denied was that he could break a man just by looking at him.

Right now, they were not looking because he was in a bad mood. There was no obvious tell, but the fact his fist had crumpled and destroyed the note he had been holding was a good indicator. Little shreds of paper blew out behind him like a comet trail as he walked towards them.

One of them found a bit of courage.

"So when are we going boss?"

"As soon as the other two charges show up. One I did not expect to be here on time, the other..."

The fist clenched a little tighter, and some last fragments of paper scattered on the breeze.

There were a few moments of terrified silence before a small commotion from a nearby street.

"Here's charge number one..."

The figure skidded around the corner, trench coat flapping as it turned. The figure bounced off a couple of civilians, then a wall. Then they skidded to a halt in front of Ibiki.

"Sorry Scar-face, there was a sale and I had to try and get another stick in!"

"Really Anko? Really?"

The figure tossed the stick which had previously been covered by the sweet treat over her shoulder carelessly.

"Alright, let's go!"

"You're not last to arrive Anko, we have a special team member joining us."

"Oooh, who is it?"

The figure opened his fist to try and read the note. The few crumpled remains yielded nothing for the master interrogator.

"Someone called Naruto. Apparently he's a stealthy one."

"Is he cute?"

"Is that all you think about?"

"I can wonder."

Ibiki sighed. If this Naruto was any later he would break him when the mission was over.

He turned towards the gate when there was a surprised yelp from the two guards.

"How did you get in here?"

"He scattered the cards!"

Ibiki effortlessly tuned out the idiot guards and took in the figure that now stood in the gateway. His brain analysed the figure and got very little. Loose black cloak that hid everything that wasn't black, a bulge at the back where weapons sat was all he could get.

Ah well, you weren't a master interrogator if you didn't have some swagger. He walked up to the figure and towered over it.

"You're Naruto?"

"Yes."

"You're late."

"I arrived at the gate two hours ago."

"You didn't reveal yourself to me until now."

"I wished to know more about my teammates. Lord Hokage tells me I should get to know people better."

"You do that by talking to them face to face, not by spying."

"I'm...not good at that."

"Pfff. Why did he send you with me?"

"I don't know."

Despite the figures appearance, Ibiki could just tell that wasn't entirely true. He decided to press.

"I think you do. Show me your face."

"No. Show me your head."

The team of T&I interrogators watched the exchange with awe. Their common consensus was that this 'Naruto' was going to suffer badly. And that he had balls of steel. Huge balls.

"I am your team leader. Do as I say."

"I believe I do not have to reveal personal secrets unless they are mission critical."

"Yes, but I can extract them."

"I have seen Kakashi's face."

To his credit, Ibiki didn't react on the outside. Which is more than can be said for his colleagues. Internally, he was seething. He hadn't seen it, despite numerous efforts, and nearly kidnapping the man at one stage.

"How?"

"I won't say."

Ibiki decided he would crack him later. Right now they had a mission.

"You know what our mission is?"

"Yes."

"Your role?"

"Infiltration and distraction whilst extraction is performed."

"Define extraction."

"Removal of target information, or persons holding target information."

"Did you remember your headband like a good boy?"

"No. Because the mission documents declared this mission sensitive and hence headbands were to be dispensed with."

One of the chunin spluttered slightly as he remembered what he had remembered to bring.

"Good, let's move. Try to keep up Shorty."

"I will Scar-face."

Anko burst out laughing, unable to hold it in anymore.

"Ibiki, I like this kid already. You are a kid right, you can show the sexy Anko-chan your face if you want to."

Naruto merely shrugged. Anko licked her lips. Even if he was a kid, he was interesting. Very interesting. She would enjoy this time immensely.

The team halted as night began to fall. Travelling at night was possible, but somewhat discouraged. Bandits got more courageous at night, fueled by the extra cover of darkness, and anything they'd been drinking.

The chunin in the team began to set a fire as Ibiki sat in meditation. Anko was off killing something, having been deprived of said pleasure during the day. From the undergrowth, there was an anguished squeal and the sound of a knife doing some work.

"Look what I found!"

They stared at the boar's carcass that she carried nonchalantly in both arms, cradling the surprisingly undamaged corpse in her arms. The only signs of injury were a couple of small marks in its neck, and the thin line across the throat.

Naruto looked at the corpse and found himself warming to her a bit. The cut was clean, and aside from letting the pig make noise, she had killed it efficiently and without fuss. She didn't seem to mind the cold, or the blood that slightly stained her coat.

The chunin set about cooking the carcass, Anko wiped off the blood and leapt up into the tree where Naruto was sheltering.

He didn't turn, keeping himself hidden in the dark shadows.

"I wonder. What's under your hood?"

"My face. Like anyone else."

"No need to be rude to Anko-chan. I would like to see your face."

She licked her lips in an odd fashion, but then again most people had odd habits.

"Do you need to?"

"Well, no. But then I'll never know how cute you are. You've got the dark part down, but not the tall or handsome...as far as I know."

"Why do you want tall, dark and handsome?"

"It's a saying."

"What does it mean?"

"You don't know? What are you?"

"A ghost."

"You are clearly not. Tell me then, Naruto. Who are you?"

Whilst she talked, she idly played with her hands. Using his Byakugan, Naruto could see the hand signs subtly woven in by the focusing of chakra. This allowed him to grab the snake that tried to bite him a moment later.

"I'm an assassin, I'm twelve years old, and I don't understand people."

He tightened his grip on the snake until it poofed away in smoke.

"You meanie! He wasn't even venomous. He was only meant to distract you."

"Why?"

"So I can take off your hood."

"Oh."

Naruto prepared for the next jutsu, and suddenly found himself bound up in snakes. He didn't bother to resist.

"No struggling?"

"No point, I can't break the hold."

"So if this happened to you on a mission, you'd just let them kill you?"

"Well, not exactly. But yes."

She pulled back the hood and retracted the snakes.

"You are an odd one. Even by my books. Although...you do have the cute part down, perhaps handsome later. Even if you are too young for me."

Naruto became acutely aware of how she was leaning towards him with her arms pressing her chest inwards. He found himself suddenly unable to look away from the pleasant sight it created.

He had no idea why it was pleasant, but the shape was...no it wasn't that it was something else.

"Ooh, do you like that view Darkie-kun."

"Who is Darkie-kun?"

"You silly. It's a nickname. Something I call you because it's like you."

"Oh. Like a mission name or a code-name."

"Yes, but it's more friendly. It's something that friends give each other."

"I don't have friends."

"Seriously, what are you?"

"Why do people keep asking me that?"

Anko studied him carefully. He wasn't lying. The question was genuine, the confusion real. She realised suddenly that this was a boy who hadn't had a normal childhood. Someone who was in some ways, just like her. Only she'd become an outcase once she'd been cursed. He was an outcast who had only just discovered other life existed.

Her face softened slightly as she sat down on the tree branch opposite him.

Naruto watched her body language change, although he didn't fully understand it.

"Tell me about your childhood Naruto."

"I don't know if I'm allowed. Also why did you stop with the nickname?"

"Because we're alike. Well, a bit. You haven't had friends and you seem to be an outcast."

"I haven't been cast out of anything."

"Well, an outcast by choice then."

He considered. The appraisal was correct.

"True."

"Then tell me what you can about your childhood. Did you have parents?"

"Yes. They are essential to being born."

"I mean did you know them?"

"No. I spent my early years in an orphanage. Lord Hokage sometimes checked on me."

"You too huh. I was an orphan too. I try not to remember those early years."

"The food was bad."

Anko laughed.

"Some things never change."

She saw his lips twitch from the flat line they had held for the entire time they had talked.

"What then Darkie-kun?"

"Why am I Darkie-kun again?"

"Because we're becoming friends."

"We are?"

"This is the start of friendship I think. I'm not big on friends either. I have a problem that means people don't trust me."

"I don't trust people."

She smiled again.

"Why not?"

"They don't think. I've seen the genin teams my age and they don't think right."

"Define right for me Darkie-kun."

"They don't make the logical choice for the mission. They seem to dislike courses of action that lead to harm. We're shinobi, we cause harm."

"Harm to whom though Darkie-kun?"

"Anyone within the mission parameters who it becomes necessary to cause harm to. I'm an assassin, killing is my job."

"Can I pose a question for you?"

"Yes."

"Right, you're on a mission. One of your teammates has got captured and you have a choice between rescuing them and completing the mission. Which do you choose?"

"The mission."

"Even if it means they die?"

"If the mission were to be compromised by saving them then yes. It is likely not eliminating my target would lead to further deaths."

"Even if you had to watch them die?"

"Yes."

"Listen to them plead for you to save them? Listen to them scream?"

"Yes."

His voice only faltered slightly.

"Really?"

"Yes. I think. Depends on their relative worth."

She was almost shocked by this. Almost. She knew that line of thought far too well. A certain sensei of hers had had a similar line of thought. Sacrifices made using cold logic. Except her old sensei had never cared about feelings and took joy from his malice. The boy before her seemed to be only using logic for his decisions.

"I've found where your thinking differs Darkie-kun."

"Where? It would be interesting to know."

"When people form friendships, teams grow stronger. Eventually, people may have to choose between their friends and the mission. You've worked with Kakashi right?"

"Yes. He told me _'Those who abandon the mission are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are lower than trash'_."

"You understand that more now?"

"So I might have to choose between saving a teammate or a friend or completing the mission? And choosing the mission may be harder because of the friendship?"

"Yes. Other people think with their emotions, which can be good. It can drive people onwards. What drives you to do your missions and get better?"

Naruto thought. Then he crossed his legs and continued to think. He opened his eyes to find a hand waving in front of his face.

"You in there Darkie-kun?"

"I...don't know. It's what I've always done."

"Huh. I think you'll find out eventually."

He didn't respond.

She couldn't help but just observe the young man. He wasn't a boy, he definitely wasn't a child. He was mature beyond his years and if what he said was true he'd never had a childhood. He was a weapon, he saw himself as a weapon through and through.

She felt a deep pang of pity for him, despite herself. He was content, even if he didn't know it. He was everything he wanted to be.

She acted on impulse hugged him. The fact they were sitting on the tree meant that his meant grabbing his shoulders and pulling them into her chest so his head rested on her shoulder meant the motion was quite sudden.

Naruto quickly stowed the kunai that his slid into his palm when he realised this wasn't an attack. There was contact, but it was warm and odd.

He found himself held close, his arms sticking out awkwardly as he didn't know what to do with them.

The entire situation was odd. But it was nice in its way.

Anko held him in the hug for a few seconds before sitting back. She realised she had a slight blush on her cheeks, mostly because of the look of confused bewilderment on his face. Then she saw the kunai.

"Really? You had to stop yourself stabbing me?"

Naruto's brain fought for coherence as it processed the hug.

"Yes? What was that?"

"That was a hug. They're what friends give each other when they feel that person needs cheering up. I think. As I said, I'm not big on friends either."

"Oh. It felt nice. I don't understand it though."

She laughed a loud and open laugh.

Naruto looked down into the camp, and realised that the three chunin, who were busy cooking something in a large pot, were staring up at the scene. He read their lips as they whispered to one another.

"Did Anko...the one who..." Naruto didn't fully understand the next few words, he was sure he misread them because the words like 'kunai', 'handcuffs' and 'appendix' didn't belong in the same sentence as far as he knew, but kept reading. "Just hugged Naruto. Hugged. What kind of genjutsu does he know to make her do that willingly?"

He decided to give them a moment before he called down to them.

"The only genjutsu I know are to distract and disable opponents or to hide myself. I don't know any people controlling ones."

The T&I specialists decided it was best not to stare and shut up very quickly. Anko smiled.

"We're going to get on just fine Darkie-kun. Who's your sensei?"

"I don't really have an official one. I think I'm going to seek training from people who could improve my skills. I'd like to know more assassassination style jutsu and techniques."

"Do you know about poison?"

"Only a little, do you know someone who can help?"

She flashed him a smile and stood into an elaborate pose.

"Darkie-kun, the amazing and sexy Anko will become your awesome Anko-sensei!"

Naruto didn't understand why it had to be so flashy, but hey, he had a new sensei. Who had just nearly overbalanced and sat down quickly.

Ibiki had been quietly ignoring the conversation the whole time whilst he was meditating. The last outburst had broken his concentration just a little too much.

"Enough Anko. You get the second watch tonight."

She groaned. The second watch was the worst. First watch and third watch your sleep came in one burst. Second you got two lousy, unsatisfactory sleep periods.

With the food prepared, the team went to sleep quickly. Naruto stayed sentinel in his tree, eyelids shut, but the Byakugan constantly searching. He left out a breath as he mulled the events of the day over.

_'Friends...are they important?'_

* * *

_I think this is an opportune time to add a little bit of an author's note to the story as there are a couple of things I'd like to say._

_1) Thanks for all the reviews, favs, alerts etc. great to know people are enjoying this. As a bit of a request, if there is something you **don't** like in any given chapter, put it into a review. I really want feedback on things to improve, and I'm happy to explain any particular things I won't change._

_2) Apparently there are now pictures available for stories, and tbh I think not having a picture kinda suits the story better._

_3) There will be a slight uploading gap in a couple of weeks because I'll be on holiday away from all the internets. So it's not the story disappearing, just lack of internet._

_4) As most everyone is aware by now, the site admins of posted about story ratings and that explicitly sexual or violent stories could face removal (in effect, they actually just clarified their policy on what is allowed. _

_Now my story would almost definitely fall under the overly-violent banner (it is about a Naruto who kills stuff, and it will get pretty bloody later on), and would thus fall under this category. I'm not overly worried about my stories disappearing in part of a purge of the Naruto section along with every lemon on the site, but would remind everyone that if you disagree with the policy, there is a petition to sign somewhere. But basically, I'm not panicking about this, and hope you all continue to enjoy the story_

_TL;DR? Thanks, no picture, small gap in a couple of weeks, not too worried about getting purged_


	10. The Show

_Caution: This chapter involves heavily implied torture and implied sexual contact. The author wishes to convey that he does not condone torture in any way, shape or form, and that he doesn't mind if you skip such scenes._

* * *

The next morning they advanced.

The forest thinned as the team moved out, and soon they were moving through rocky terrain, a mass of steppes covered by a thin layer of mossy grass.

The peninsula that was technically outside of the Land of Fire was a relatively minor route from the Land of Water, but one a quick one. The terrain made it hard for trade wagons to move across the land, but for small parties of shinobi, or horseback messengers, it was the preferred route.

Naruto's cloak took on the mottled texture of the stones and grass, and enjoyed moving from rock to rock. The newer environment gave him a chance to constantly test his path finding. Rock to rock, shade there, a hollow there. Thin brush. He analysed the land as he went, moving constantly from place to place in a jinking run.

Ibiki called the group to a halt, and they slid into the cover of a small hole under a rock.

"Right, our information believes that the target will be moving through this region during today. There is a strong chance they will use this road, as it goes through one of the few passes into Iwa's central territories.

Our target has vital information which we must obtain for the safety of Konoha. Unfortunately, they have high profile connections. We have to kidnap and take care of the targets silence out here. If we take too long, they'll send a search party.

The plan will be to take out any guards or teammates the target has, subdue the target, and then extract the information."

He turned to the trio of chunin.

"Ishosi, Yahu, Mago, your job is to prepare this area for the extraction. I'll need more space, and it'll need to be well hidden. 2 sweep hidden."

They nodded.

"Anko, Naruto, your job will be the capture. Use whatever tactics you need to, you're both ambush specialists."

They nodded.

"I need to prepare a couple of things for our guest."

He smiled. It was a smile that nobody could mistake as a happy one. It was the smile of a man who knows he's going to cause pain and that's he's good at it. The smile of someone who enjoys their job.

The chunin set to work, using doton jutsu to compact and move the rock and dirt so that a relatively large hole was being created. It was big enough for four people to be in comfortably. Not six though. He realised that that was the point. Make it small and claustrophobic to make it even worse for the target.

Ibiki opened a scroll and unsealed what looked like a child's chemistry set. Naruto watched in fascination as several small vials were readied for use.

Anko saw his expression change to one of interest and smiled.

"I take it you didn't expect Ibiki to be a chemist?"

"No. I thought he specialised in psychological and physical torture. Unless he uses that as part of either."

"It's both. You'll see why."

They moved away from the foxhole and sunk into cover near the road. Naruto's cloak allowed him to practically hide in the open. He ran through the hand signals for the basic chameleon jutsu he had known for the better part of nine years to hide the rest of him.

The jutsu was crude, and an experienced ninja would easily see where the illusion frayed around the edges. It was a standard for all academy students, and hence was low power and low chakra dependant. Most ninja forgot it entirely after the academy, moving on to more exciting jutsu.

For someone like Naruto the technique was still little used, he preferred the night and the shadows for his work, but in the daylight it could surprise an unexpected surprise.

Anko marvelled at how easily he slid into a hiding posture, his body becoming rigid. She tapped him on the shoulder.

"Yes?"

It was just loud enough for her to hear. She realised she'd nearly trodden on his bow, hidden next to him within easy reach.

"I'm going to the high ground to spot better, you seem happy here, so take this."

She passed him the radio headset. Useful for communication when a team had to split up. Naruto had never had to use one before.

He slid the power and transmitter under his cloak and turned on the mic set. He checked the frequency, and waited.

The voice slipped into his ear as if she were whispering into his ear.

"Darkie-kun, do you hear me?"

"Yes."

"Yes who?"

"Yes Anko."

"Yes Anko what?"

"Yes Anko-taicho?"

He heard the sigh down the mic.

"No, Anko-_chan._"

"Oh."

There was a crackle as Ibiki's gruff tones made it onto the airwaves.

"Are you in position?"

They gave their affirmatives.

"Good, bring the target in when you've captured her."

Aside from the mission documents, that was the first bit of characterisation Ibiki had given to the target. A girl from Kiri apparently, who knew some secrets that Konoha needed to know.

He'd read the mission documents thoroughly, even the background reading on the Land of Water. Kiri, it transpired, was in turmoil. The Kage had unleashed great amounts of hurt on his people, and the people had fought back.

He'd found, upon some analysis of the material, that there was a definite bias towards the rebels. It was subtle, but the use of certain phrases had triggered the conclusion.

Phrases like 'noble struggle' and 'tough dictatorship' were used to describe either side every so often, so even though the account was nominally equal, it was designed to turn the mind towards the rebels.

He'd given moments thought as to whether Lord Danzo, or one of his former colleagues had been behind some of the nicer phrasing.

Either way, the current Kage was in power, and as they were trading with Konoha, an emissary came every so often. So when the spies had told of an unexpected visit, and discovered documents marked for Rice and Suna, suspicions had been raised.

Intelligence was something you put your best on.

His musings were interrupted by Anko's voice in his ear.

"So Darkie-kun, whilst we wait for our guest, care to learn a little?"

"About what Anko?"

"Sorry, who?"

This was silly.

"Anko-_chan._"

"Good boy. About whatever you want."

He could have sworn that was not a tone of voice used for teaching. He wasn't sure how to respond properly. Ibiki cut in.

"If you two are going to chit-chat, at least keep it business. No corrupting the poor boy Anko."

"Awwh. You ruin my fun."

"Teach him about some stuff about poisons. That may at least keep me from just switching this thing off, and maybe give me some inspiration."

That last word was loaded. Naruto imagined the man saying it. It didn't fit, and that worried him. A lot about his colleagues worried him. They were even more eccentric than the genin teams, even if they were more focused and experienced.

_'Why are you all so...weird?'_

He realised that he'd whispered it to himself as opposed to thought it. A chuckle from Ibiki granted him from the other end.

"You've really been kept in the dark haven't you?"

"Yes. I kill from the dark."

"It was a figure of speech."

"Oh."

Anko's voice became a touch more urgent.

"Target sighted. 4 guards, coming in from the East.

Naruto activated his Byakugan and got used to the transition from real world vision to the odd mixed vision using both eyes simultaneously gave him.

The signatures were there, and rising fast. He slid the first bolt into the slot on his bow.

The riders got to within bolt range, but he could see the chakra levels were near those of Haku, if not a little higher. This bolt was going to have to come from closer range.

They got 10m closer, he could pick out their formation, the man at the front taking glances left and right as he ran. Scanning for figures. He hadn't seen them.

He looked at the other teammates and surmised their positions in the team.

The man at the front had the smallest amount of chakra, and seemed to be the nimblest and most aware. A scout.

The two middle men were thickly built, and carried weapons. The muscle, the brutes.

That meant the one at the back was the leader. Able to see everything and react accordingly. He had to die first.

He prepared to fire. First he'd clip one of the grunts, and then hit the leader whilst he was distracted. From there, he could attack the rest.

He ready his finger on the grip when Anko's plan started.

The scout drew a kunai and sliced at something which rose from the ground towards his leg. It twitched and bit him on his ankle.

He yelled, and one of the brutes moved to help him before his weapon was swinging to take out another snake.

The leader was looking towards Anko's position. He fired.

The bolt went straight into his skull and lodged there, sending a small spray of blood and bone into the air. The thunk attracted the attention of another brute before the second bolt took him in the throat.

The scout was down, his face an odd shade of blue. The final brute was still occupied with the sudden mass of snakes. Another bolt placed into his back spun him on his axis before he fell and the snakes got their shots in.

The target was running away as fast as she could, but Naruto could tell she wasn't a ninja. In a flash Anko had delivered a controlled chop to her neck, before slinging her over a shoulder.

She walked towards Naruto's foxhole as he rose up, crossbow still held ready; he had nearly relaxed his aim when he saw the movement behind Anko.

"Down."

Anko obeyed with good haste, and the bolt took the leader in the neck. Somehow the shot to his skull, which still jutted out awkwardly, had not been enough to kill him. Naruto was amazed the man had got up, let alone been about to use a jutsu.

Anko looked round.

"Damn. You are good with that thing."

"Your snakes are very effective too."

"Thanks. They're my favourite. Could you hide the bodies for me whilst I get this into Ibiki's care?"

He nodded. He'd had to hide dead bodies before, it happened every so often on his old missions. Sometimes the guards just got in the way of his objective, and then they had to die.

He recalled all the occasions where he'd moved a body into a cupboard, or propped it up so it looked asleep. Well, at least until they checked anyway.

He recalled the poor maid who had come up onto that rooftop for air, her face caught in a silent scream as he had killed her.

He shook his head to clear it of the woman's face. Why was he remembering that now?

Then the target's themselves.

Most of the time they were killed privately to be discovered later. He recalled with pride getting the kill on a man who thought his toilet had been safe. He had actually made it back to base before anyone had dared to check on him.

The woman's silently screaming face came back into his mind, playing itself onto all his victims.

He blocked it out, deactivating the Byakugan he realised he still had active.

The bodies were easily hidden, there were enough spare rocks around to hide them under, and crevices off the track where nobody would ever look. Ninja using this trail tended to stick to the road. With luck, rain would wash away any remaining blood traces soon enough.

He slid his blade across the neck of the scout, who was still burbling gently, his congealed saliva a colour it shouldn't have been. He felt it was better that way; after all, he wouldn't want his death dragged out if he was caught.

He finished his handiwork and wiped his hands down on the mossy grass before heading back to the hole they had used for cover. It wasn't so much a hole as a chamber. A torture chamber.

He'd only briefly seen one from the root cells. A small slit on a door just before it was shut, and the face of a man who looked defiant. He recalled the screams that he'd heard moments later.

He watched out of the entrance with his Byakugan to scan for approaching trouble. He wasn't expecting any.

He heard the rough slap and the gasp of the woman waking and heard the interrogation.

"Right, Ukuno Juha, Intelligence officer under Mizukage Yagura correct?"

"No, I'm just a client of Kiri needing passage into the Land of Fire for"

The pleading voice was cut off by another slap. It was a deliberately loud one, the noise echoing in the chamber. The chunin skulked menacingly around behind them whilst Anko stood behind Ibiki with a smirk on her face.

"And I'm the Sage himself. We knew who you are."

There was a rip of clothing.

"See the tatoo on you hip? We know what that means, Ukuno. Pure blood mark the Mizukage bestows on his followers to say they are free of the bloodline curse."

The woman tried to plead again but another harsh slap cut it off.

"If you're going to talk, tell us why you're headed to Suna. To the Rice Country and Grass Country. Maybe Iwa too?"

The woman's voice was heard again, the pleading act dropped into a serious tone.

"You think I'll tell you? If I don't reach my destination within two days they'll know. If I don't make it they'll know who did it. You've already lost."

There was the sound of spit and another slap.

"Oooh she's defiant. Can I have some fun Ibiki-kun? Can sweet little Anko have some fun with the pretty lady."

The was the soft sound of a finger tracing flesh.

"Get off me bitch."

"Awh, not going to let me play nice? I can be nasty if you want to."

"Now now Anko not yet, I have a few more persuasive tools to use first. Pass me syringe one please."

A chunin dressed in black, he wasn't sure which, passed him a needle.

"I bet you want to know what this does don't you?"

She remained silent, as he stood next to her.

"This liquid will make you more easily open to suggestion. Very easily open."

"Try it dickhead."

"With pleasure."

There was a small grunt of pain as the needle was inserted roughly but expertly. It was tossed aside with a clatter.

"So, how do you feel now?"

Silence.

"Anko, have any suggestions for her?"

"Ooh, Anko-chan thinks she needs a woman's touch. Don't you want that?"

There was a sound of a zip slowly being undone, and the sound of hands on flesh. There was a feminine moan.

"Stop Anko, I think she's enjoying this too much."

"Awh, I was only just getting started."

"You...bastards. Why do I want...want...?"

"More? Maybe we'll give you more if you give us things we need."

There was a jangling sound as the figure struggled.

"Oh don't struggle; I thought you'd already won? Or maybe you know you're going to talk. You want to talk."

The figure cried out in desperation and anger with more jangling.

"Tell us, and Anko can be nice again."

"I was discussing...treaties."

"About what Ukuno?"

"Not telling."

"Anko?"

"Mmm with pleasure."

He watched the outside, never once turning back as this pattern repeated itself. He didn't know what Anko was doing to the woman, only hearing a dark chuckle from one of the chunin every so often. He surmised it was something pleasurable.

Eventually though, even Anko's touch wasn't bringing them more.

"So military treaties with the minor nations? Has Kiri fallen so low?"

"Please...no more. No more of her. She has no hold on me."

"Awh seems number one has worn off."

"It was, bring me number 2."

"What will...this one...argh!"

"This one is going to hurt. For the first couple of minutes, it should just be like a toothache all over. Of course, it gets worse and worse for hours, unless I insert the antidote. And I don't feel like injecting it until I hear what I want to hear. If you make it through that, well then, I could use more traditional, metallic methods."

The figure was trying not to make noise as it strained against the cuffs. He realised that he had started watching now, the outside forgotten.

The woman's face was slowly contorting in agony. It looked like the maid's face from those years ago. He stared, he couldn't help it.

She screamed in pain. The same scream, the same face.

He stumbled outside and enjoyed the silence aside from the distant roar of the ocean. He hid, taking up his former position overlooking the road. He forced himself to clear his mind.

He wasn't sure how long he had waited, time was immaterial. But it wasn't long before a figure emerged.

The woman looked like nothing had happened, and was soon making her way along the road.

* * *

He walked back to the chamber to see the team packing up, Ibiki and Anko were chatting as they did so.

"Definitely some interesting information, no doubt there."

"I wish I could have used the snakes on her...I had a new little nerve toxin ready and everything."

"Interesting time ahead. Ah, Naruto is back."

Anko rose and swaggered over to him.

"Did you enjoy the show?"

"I wasn't watching."

"You saw a little. You turned round when the pain toxin was used. Nasty stuff, some of my favourite work."

"I don't want to be near that."

"Good choice."

"How did you get her on her way again?"

"Oh. We can suppress the memory. Ibiki knows one or two mind jutsu that he can use to alter the perception. As far as she knows, she never had a team to go with."

"What about when she makes it home?"

"Oh, we also inserted a toxin in a slow release pill. Quite interesting stuff actually, it's made of a material that biodegrades in the body, slowly releasing the dose. With luck, it'll go off and make it look like a heart attack."

Naruto couldn't help but be impressed. It was subtle, brilliant, and a perfect way of killing some off. Why had he never used toxins in the past?

Ibiki finished sealing up his equipment and turned to his team.

"Good job. Let's get the information home."


	11. Intruder

The debrief was different to any he had been in before. Most of them took place in the open of the missions room, or the open if intimidating presence of the Hokage's office.

This was different.

The room was dark and cold, a long bare table and spartan chairs lit by artificial yellow light. The Hokage sat in one of them as he overviewed the report and information. Sitting with him was the Jonin commander who was merely flicking through the information.

Naruto watched the man carefully. His entire posture was lazy and laid back. He barely seemed to read the documents in front of him, eyes hidden by the sheaf of notes. He suspected that, like Kakashi, there was more to this man than met the eye.

He couldn't help but feel that this was being used to cover something.

Silence reigned as Anko, Ibiki and Naruto sat on one side of the table waiting for the response.

He had no idea why he was here. He suspected it was less for his input and more because he was being tested. Or the Hokage had another reason.

He did as he did in such situations and waited. Patiently.

"How hard was she to crack Ibiki?"

"A level two case Hokage-sama."

"Must have taken an hour or two then."

"Indeed."

The dark haired commander sighed.

"I still find it troubling you merely assign a level to people's resistance to torture. Why I let Hokage-sama convince me into accepting this job I have no idea. Too troublesome. Especially with reports like these."

The shadows on the Hokage's face deepened.

"Indeed. Why Yagura is doing this is beyond me. I am glad our eyes and ears are open. It is good to know what our allies are doing."

Naruto knew that made sense. No sense knowing what your enemies were doing if you didn't know if your allies were going to get in the way first.

"Still though. The Land of Rice. Spring. Grass. Minor nations, but dangerous if they ever combined. I don't like this. Especially this close to the exams."

"We host them this year. Security is tight on such occasions as it is Hiruzen, it would be a fooling time to strike at us from within."

"True. Be extra vigilant then commander."

The man nodded before sinking back on his chair, leaning back on it slightly, and lazy posture exemplified when his hands rested behind his neck.

Ibiki spoke up.

"I still sense our target didn't know the whole truth Hokage-sama."

"Really?"

"She was carrying no documents, no stamps. Nothing. She was just a mind being sent from person to person. I have a suspicion that her message was not carried simply only by her memory."

"Your suspicion?"

"Genjutsu. Any attempt to mind scan will have broken it of course, but I am still nervous of the fact that this means whoever used it will know she was intercepted."

"That would be less than ideal Ibiki."

"It would, although I don't know if any genjutsu that powerful could be held. Not many have that power. Unless they have someone of Kurenai's skill, which seems unlikely."

The commander sat back up.

"That implies there is someone like that on their side Ibiki. I can only think of a few names, and all of them are troubling."

"What are our worst case?"

"Orochimaru."

The air chilled. Naruto had heard the name before, in short whispers in dark corners. A traitor, and a powerful one at that. Of course, some information could be found by digging around, and Naruto had time to kill.

"That is highly non-ideal. Although that does give us some good news."

"We know he's in one of Grass, Rice or Spring. Dispatch our best to search for signs of his handiwork Shikaku."

The man rose and left.

"Hopefully this will give us answers. Be on guard. You're all dismissed."

Ibiki caught the look in the Hokage's eyes and lingered just a moment. Naruto had gone without and noise, and Anko with quite a bit, shouting something about dango.

He sat back down when he saw the Hokage beckon.

"Well?"

"He is...unusual. But he isn't T&I material."

"Really?"

"It's not his fit. He's a killer. Anko gave me a description of the fight to take out the guards. He was ruthless. Anko started a slight distraction and by the time she could get to the guard party they were mostly dead. He doesn't talk, and it took Anko to get him to open up. And she had to be honest to do so."

"That could at least be good for Anko."

"They could be good friends yes, but even so Lord Hokage I wouldn't want him in T&I. He's...he's quick, and smart and doesn't muck about. But he's not T&I."

"Be clear. What skill does he lack?"

"He doesn't like seeing people in pain."

"Really?"

"It makes sense. When we were getting the information, we used the stage II chemical. The pain serum. Up until that point he had been listening, watching the entrance. Possibly watching us, but I don't think he was. Out of interest, he hides a Byakugan under that eye patch doesn't he?"

"Tell no one. We've come close enough to that getting revealed already. Kami help me if the Hyuuga find out."

"Quite. For the record it was the fact you can't be that accurate with a bow with one eye, and it's the only explanation I could think of. Plus it makes sense in determining his uncanny tracking skills."

"Anyway, you were saying?"

"He turned round when he heard my description. It was honestly the first human think I'd seen him do. He wasn't looking with his normal view but the way a normal person would look at someone about to suffer hideous pain."

"What happened?"

"He paled a little. Hard to tell with the shadowy hood, but he did. He then left the chamber until the interrogation had ended. Quickly. I honestly expected him to throw up."

"He showed emotion?"

"I'm sure he felt it. But it's just my point. He was ok with the light physical violence, the psychological torture, and if he was looking, Anko's more interesting methods. But not the screaming. He's not T&I material, he would see the pain and kill the person."

"Did he say anything about it?"

"Nothing. I can tell it bothers him though. He needs to talk to someone."

"He needs a sensei. But I take it you don't want to lose Anko full time?"

"Not really. She's not usually the sensei type, but she works well with the boy."

"Boy?"

"Only in age."

The sat in silence a little more.

"Hokage-sama, it may be out of place, but...who is he? Really? He just shows up with practically ANBU class assassassination skills. He is mysterious, he is utterly inexperienced in dealing with other people. He can observe them, but not understand them. What is he? Where did he get this training? Where did he get a Byakugan?"

The old man chuckled wryly.

"I can't answer all those questions Ibiki, as you can probably guess. That boy is...a hero, even if he barely knows it. He is someone who has nothing but his work and is satisfied. He's both a great tool, but hard to manage properly."

"He's a secret. You know I hate secrets."

"You drag them out of people Ibiki. This is one that needs to remain hidden for the moment. Possibly forever."

"That dangerous?"

"That dangerous."

The interrogator stood up, black coat making his form more imposing that ever in the darkened room.

"Troubling. I shall ask Anko if she'll give him some training in her free time. Other than that I can honestly say that boy needs help. Badly. I think he's haunted by something and would rather not have to rip the damn reason from his head."

He left the room, footsteps echoing in the corridor as he walked away.

Hiruzen rose as well, the Kage robes ruffling as he did so. His mind was filled with concern, but tempered concern. He was the leader of a major village, and having Danzo close meant that some things rubbed off.

He had to see opportunity where others saw challenges. And he saw an opportunity.

* * *

Naruto slipped in through the window of his apartment silently. He looked around in the dark at the bare place. It was odd to think of this place as home.

He shrugged his cloak onto a chair and tugged off the top of the tight body glove he wore under it.

He could still smell blood on himself. The shower suddenly looked inviting.

The shrugged off the remainder of his clothes and stood in the cubicle and ran the water. The warmth felt good, and he could feel the grime washing off him. He couldn't properly see it of course. He hadn't bothered turning on the lights in his home, he didn't need to. Darkness was more of a home.

The warmth of the water was nice. He didn't take long to shower, he just washed off the grime, applied a scentless soap and washed it off before drying himself.

He slipped into another body glove set before he heard the noise.

Someone was knocking on his door. Someone knew where he lived. He grabbed the tanto from the pile of his equipment and slipped into a shadowy corner, blade held ready. What little light could enter the room illuminated nothing, the blade edge having been blackened to stop light reflecting off it.

The voice was muffled through the door.

"Hello? Are you in there? I want to talk to you."

It was the brown haired genin, Baka. The one from Kakashi's team. Why was he here?

"I just want to talk. I want to know stuff."

Naruto stayed silent. He relaxed the grip on the tanto blade, he wouldn't be killing him.

"Ah well, I can always pick the lock. I've done it the other dozen times I've tried to find you."

There was the sound of clicking as something thin was inserted into the lock. A few seconds later the lock clicked open.

The figure was framed in the dull, yellow artificial light outside as he stood in the doorway. It snuck inside, carefully watching all the corners.

Naruto held his breath, he actually found himself wondering if the genin could find him.

The figure fumbled on the wall for the light switch. His hand found it. Then his hand noticed the second thing touching it. It was cold and metallic.

"Don't push the switch. You're persistent. Why are you here?"

The figure tried to turn.

"Don't move, I can't kill you but I think the Hokage would understand if I caused a trespasser some intent."

"You saved us on that mission. Thank you."

Naruto considered this. He had never been thanked before. He normally got a 'congratulations' for a successful mission, maybe some recognition of the effects. Never thank-you.

He withdrew the blade and put it down next to the rest of his equipment. He pulled the cloak over himself and drew the hood over it, before sliding the door shut as quietly as possible.

"You can turn around now."

The genin turned. He focused on Naruto.

"You really are a ghost, I can barely see you when you're standing still. Can I turn the lights on? This is weird."

"No."

"Oh. Why not?"

"I prefer the dark."

"You really are a ghost."

"What?"

"Sakura-chan said that you said you were a ghost. So I had to try and find you, I'm quite good at it. You were difficult to find."

Naruto stared as the boy rambled.

"Well she didn't know your name, so I couldn't ask anyone, but then I was getting ramen, a really good bowl, and I heard a lady talking about the fact the apartment next door was haunted because the windows kept opening and the shadows were weird and she swore she sometimes thought someone lived there and the landlord didn't have a spare key set for it, so it must be haunted and stuff. So I followed them back to where they lived and found your apartment. Then I came here and found you and...and...who are you? Are you really a ghost."

Naruto remained silent. The genin took this as a sign that Naruto was looking at him how Sakura would look at him just before her fist collided with his face. Naruto was in fact stunned that he was able to talk that quickly without breathing.

"Oh...of course you're not really a ghost, but the fact you like the dark, no one knows your name, you kill people, you come and go wherever you want and nobody sees. You are a ghost but not a ghost. I think. Thinking isn't something I'm great at."

Naruto continued to stare. The genin realised he was rambling.

"Whoops. Sorry. So...about that mission. You tried to get me out of Haku's dome thing. Why?"

"It made sense."

"Why?"

"Because I thought it would improve our chances of victory."

"But why not Sasuke? He was as hurt as me, even if he did have his stupid eyes. I'm as good at blocking with kunai as he is even with them."

"He was going to leave after you."

"But why? Surely three people in the dome is better than two? It reduces the angles we can defend from, it gives us more people to work out a strategy. It has so many advantages."

"I work better alone."

"Are you sure? I mean, we would have figured out a plan eventually and beaten him right?"

"My plan would have worked."

"It did work."

"Pardon?"

"You used me as bait didn't you?"

Naruto saw the beginning of tears at the edge of the genin's eyes.

"You used me as bait because I was the least useful."

"No."

"You did...don't lie from behind that hood. Look me in the eyes and tell it to me."

Naruto dropped the hood slightly, his single visible eye meeting the genin's own green-grey eyes.

"I did not use you as bait. With you and Sasuke out of the dome, I intended to track Haku until I could apply a more deadly genjutsu. When he tried to break it, I would strike. When you were spotted I killed him as soon as possible."

"Oh. Did you have to kill him?"

"Yes. He had nearly killed you and Sasuke-san, it was the quickest way to end the fight."

"You could have ended it without killing him."

"Yes, but I thought he would finish you if I didn't."

"You were wrong. You know about people but you don't know people."

"The two are the same thing."

"They are not."

"Why?"

"They...well...one is about knowing stuff about people and the other is knowing different stuff. Umm...it's complex ok? Believe me."

"I struggle to."

"Oh."

There was silence.

"Can I see your bow?"

"No."

"What are you?"

"Like you said, a ghost. I kill people, it's my job."

"I don't like killing."

"You're a shinobi, it's kill or be killed most of the time."

"We don't have to kill. There is usually another way."

"Killing works for me."

"What do you do when you're not killing?"

"I wait, I sleep, eat. Sometimes wash or go to the toilet."

"No, I mean. What do you do to relax? To have fun? Do you have any friends?"

"I have a friend. I think. She's ok."

"What's her name? Is she nice?"

"Anko. I wouldn't call her nice."

"Why not?"

"She tortures people."

Naruto didn't understand why the genin seemed scared by this. Surely he knew that T&I employed hurtful methods.

"What about fun?"

"I am content with what I do."

"You're not normal."

"Why do people keep saying that? I am normal. You guys are weird."

"Oh wow you are something. I can't wait to talk to Sakura-chan about this."

"Tell her where I live and I will silence you, her, and anyone else you tell."

"What?"

"Ghost. No footprint, no trace. The fact you found me is worrying. I don't use the door."

"Ok. You are weird. But you're not bad, just...not normal."

Naruto wasn't sure how to respond.

"I'll stop by again sometime if you want. I'd like to get to know you better Ghost."

"That...sounds acceptable."

"Awesome, new friend dattebayo!"

He found a hand slapped over his mouth before a death whisper entered his ear.

"Never shout here again."

"Ok...see you soon then Ghost."

"Ok Baka."

He nodded mutely, and left the house.

Naruto silently made it to the rooftops and watched him move away. Something about the genin intrigued him. He was able to shrug off anything, force himself on despite everything.

He wasn't a good ninja, but he had something. He searched his vocabulary for a good word for it. Will seemed to work. He had a strong will.

He decided it was probably time to up security in his home.


	12. Problems

The room in the T&I department was quiet, but not the normal quiet that existed in that place. The silence of the damned was more terrifying than the silence of the calm, and this was a calm silence.

Anko stood inside the small briefing room. Today she was being a sensei, a proper teacher. Teaching something she loved to someone who would find it useful. Although she had the other mission at the back of her mind.

She would be better than her old sensei, she would make her student better. She would never abandon him.

Naruto pushed the door open with an expression of annoyance on his face. She smiled. she had read him correctly. He hated doors, even if he wouldn't describe it that way. She could understand why to a degree.

"Darkie-kun, nice of you to make it."

"Yes Anko-sensei."

"Hmm, not sure I prefer that or Anko-chan. Mix them up every so often."

He nodded. Ah well, down to business.

"Right, poison 101. Chemistry."

She hefted a large book onto the table. She had expected this to faze him in some way, to impress him and make him stare. He merely nodded. She realised he hadn't expected it to be easy, he wasn't arrogant like most people who were this good this early in their careers.

"This means you can't just find everything you need to poison someone from animals in nature, although they also make good poisons, a skilled medic will recognise them. Any ideas as to how you create an animal poison they haven't seen?"

"Make a new animal they haven't met before, or a different breed that produces a different toxin."

"Yep. This is actually what I do in my spare time. Anyway, as you don't own a variety of toxic animals yet, chemistry is where you are going to find the answer to all your toxic needs for the moment. What do you know about it?"

"Nothing."

"Excellent. I can teach you my method and hopefully you'll improve it someday. I'm not going to do textbook work here though, you can read in your own time. What I'm going to teach you is how to make them when you have a bit more base knowledge. In the mean time, let's think uses."

"Killing."

"You would think that wouldn't you?"

"Killing is what I do."

"Ok, I will name different target types, and you will tell me how you could kill them using poisons only. I'll judge. Right, high ranking citizen at a banquet, you are to target him only. No unnecessary collateral."

"Infiltrate the kitchens, knock out the food taster and replace him. After tasting food add poison to the food."

"Another way."

"Use a henge to disguise as a waiter, serve him a special bottle of sake which will poison him."

"No. To high of a risk of collateral."

"Use a poison that will only make people who only drink a smaller amount ill?"

"Somewhat acceptable, still suspect. Another."

"Infiltrate the serving staff, soak any implements he might use in toxin and let him use them."

"Ooh, devious. But you're still thinking too directly. How delayed are you going to make this kill? How many parts does the toxin need?"

The session went on for a few hours, with Anko quizzing Naruto on the uses and some of the subtleties of the poison. She had to admit he was quick, and he had imagination to him.

Eventually, she heard the noise. It was faint, but she picked up on it. She kept quizzing.

"Right, jonin level ninja in charge of a small fortification, death needs to be dramatic and painful for her death to unnerve her forces."

"Her?"

"Yes."

"Why painful?"

"Because the screaming upsets people."

"Um."

There it was. He heard it, and for the first time she had seen he had hesitated. In three hours.

"Slow acting poison added to her private stores, assuming she's arrogant enough to have some."

"Fair enough. You hesitated."

"I did. I was thinking."

_'And you're lying.'_

"Good. Sorry about the background noise, Ibiki has a traitor a few doors down, he likes to play with them."

"Such is the fate of traitors."

_'A bit of emoting. This is better.'_

"The longest I've heard anyone scream is a full twenty-four hours. Ibiki had a new toy, and they were particularly resilient."

He stayed silent. She looked at him closely. His face had changed slightly. It was a slightly different form of emotionless than before, harder. Like he was remembering something.

"So, have all the kills you've made so far been clean? Or has anyone ever screamed?"

"I'd rather not say."

_'So that's a yes. And it's a bad yes. No wonder Ibiki didn't think he could do this. He doesn't like causing pain. His kills are all so quick he doesn't cause any. He has mercy and he doesn't even know it.'_

"Oh. If you want to talk about some of them at some time I'd love to hear about them. That is if you can tell little Anko-chan."

She did her best impression of innocence as she said so. She suspected it wouldn't make any difference, but he was showing signs of emotion.

"I will."

"Good, we're just about done for today then."

He left, and Anko cursed the fact he was so damn silent. She couldn't tell if he had sped up as he went. He had taken the book though, but sealed it. That was clever.

He was both a mystery and so easy to see. From his reintroduction into the regular forces, the blank slate he could be had begun to be transformed into a personality. But was it a blank slate?

She walked down the hallway and went into the next room. She removed the tape from the speaker system before crushing it absentmindedly. It had been a cruel trick. It was a betrayal of trust that had been forced up her by the mission. The fact it was a self created mission, but one she had made after a short chat with Ibiki.

She was his friend after all. One of the few she had, and possibly the only one he had. If he needed help, and she was becoming sure he did, it was her place to get it to him.

She checked the time and swore violently. She had somewhere to be. She rushed to one of the storerooms and grabbed the great fabric roll inside.

Time to scare some genin.

* * *

He had hit the rooftops some hours back and he had just kept moving. Whatever it was about that noise, it brought it back. He'd never had this in the dark. He'd never had this in the dark.

He moved on instinct, dark to dark, shadow to shadow, cover to cover in a series of smooth fluid leaps and bounds. He ran, ignoring the burning in his legs. He leapt, ignoring the pain.

He embraced it, he embraced anything that wasn't that noise. Anything that wasn't that face that the scream brought back.

Her face was there, locked forever in the scream that he had silenced.

His foot hid a wet patch and he slipped slightly as he leapt from a roof, his trajectory was not going to reach the next rooftop. Sparks flew from the soles of his sandals as he slid down the wall, using enough chakra to keep it steady, but not enough to stop him.

He pushed off the wall and rolled into the alleyway.

Then he heard it again. A scream. A feminine scream. It was close.

He ran down the alleyway towards the noise. The crossbow was in his hands on instinct, his Byakugan was active.

He saw the figures. One was down, backing away down towards him. Another two stood over it, moving slowly towards it.

He fought to keep his emotions in check as he rounded the corner and brought the bow up.

The first standing figure died without looking up. The second looked up in time to eat the bolt through the roof of his mouth.

The prone figure stopped screaming as Naruto ran over. He heard a different noise. A wet choking sound.

He stood over the figure. They looked up as he eclipsed the light and screamed again. He winced at the loud noise until it stopped.

"Are you alright?"

The figure was lying very still. He waved a hand in front of her face, when it became apparent that she was unconscious.

The Byakugan vision revealed her condition to be stable, and he tried to decide what to do next. Well she wasn't going anywhere.

He checked the bodies of the figures he had killed. They were wearing Konoha headbands.

"Oh."

The word echoed silently in the alley as he considered his next move.

He had, without delay, killed two of his shinobi comrades who were in the process of attacking an innocent person. That could be tricky to explain.

He could take the girl to the hospital, which would mean leaving two corpses in an alleyway until he got back, and going into the hospital. That would lead people to ask questions about who he was.

Or he could wait with an unconscious lady and two corpses in an alleyway until somebody turned up. Like an ANBU or another ninja. That would be probably easier to explain, but also have the issue of how long it would take. Then again, he had time.

He quietly piled the two corpses together and stripped them of their equipment. Wasn't like they'd be needing it right?

He hid in the alley, watching over the situation in case anyone came across it. And waited.

* * *

Hiruzen rubbed his eyes as the first rays of dawn crept in through the windows of his office. He wasn't normally in this early.

Still, he was awake, and his first problem of the day was already unfolding in front of him.

The ANBU stood behind their prisoner, although he wasn't entirely sure that that was the right word. Prisoner usually meant they had been forced to come. This one seemed oddly keen.

"Talon...what is going on?"

"Well, we have two dead shinobi, a traumatised civilian woman, and this short-ass who refuses to give us anything other than his serial number."

"At least he knows how to be interrogated then."

"Very good Hokage-sama. The two shinobi, Oyuka and Oyuba Hogesuri were both killed by crossbow bolts to the face."

The Hokage looked at Naruto who raised his head to meet the gaze of the older man. The defiance in the eye was there. The look. An attitude.

He remained impassive.

"The kills seem to have happened during the night, and on a routine patrol at about 4 this morning we came across the scene. The woman was unconscious, technically sleeping, and he was waiting in the shadows. To be honest, we didn't see him until he came out."

"What did he do then?"

"He admitted, and I quote, _'I killed them because they were causing the screaming, is she alright? She passed out when I tried to see if she was injured or not.'_"

"He said exactly that?"

"Yes."

He resisted the temptation to laugh and bury his head in his hands. His poker face remained true.

"So you brought him here?"

"We took the woman to the hospital to get her checked out, then brought him here. He did admit to killing two Konoha shinobi in cold blood."

"Blood is kept at an internal temperature of 300 degrees Kelvin, it's usually quite warm."

Everyone present stared at Naruto.

"Cold blood implies it has been away from a heat source for a time. It only got to that state after my attack."

The ANBU made a frustrated groaning sound.

"Seriously Hokage-sama, who in the hell is this kid?"

He quietened the man with a wave of his elderly hand.

"Has the woman regained her senses?"

"Hare is with her currently, out of uniform of course. He'll bring us his report when she has."

"And your current hypothesis?"

"Ridiculous."

"Humour me Talon. Humour me at this ungodly hour of the morning."

"The brothers grimly-dead were trying something untoward towards the lady, and our little knight is grubby, black armour shot them both dead from ambush. Oddly enough they seemed to be unarmed."

"Really?"

"Yes Lord Hokage."

"Naruto did you steal all of their equipment?"

The ANBU laughed. Naruto produced a storage scroll he had hidden in his cloak and placed it politely on the desk. They stopped laughing. Hiruzen began to read the contents of the scroll from the characters on the scroll.

"Really?"

"Yes Talon. This looks like the standard kit for shinobi of their quality. In fact."

He placed his hand down gently and brought out some of the equipment. He tested the edge of a kunai with his finger.

"It would appear their maintenance was not as good as I would like to hope. Then again, I recall these two making it through a particularly poor set of the chunin exams and were promoted against my better judgement by some idiots impressed with a poorly controlled fireball."

He tossed the kunai to Talon who caught it by the blade.

"Couldn't cut cheese with this piece of rubbish."

"Couldn't have put it better myself Talon."

"So not the greatest loss we could ever have had I take it?"

"I can think of a few people I'd rather lose."

"I do hope my name is on it sir."

"You never cease to amuse me Talon."

The man straightened, and there was every hint of a beaming smile behind the mask. His companion sighed.

"Good to hear it Hokage-sama."

"So back to your theory?"

"Well then they were armed, but it ends up the same. He steals their equipment then waits, presumably for several hours with two dead bodies and the unconscious lady, then confesses immediately and unequivocally. Is this some kind of elaborate practical joke sir? Is it Gibbon again?"

"No it is not Gibbon. He doesn't get people killed. Or he hasn't yet. Anyway, did you ask your charge what happened?"

"He's as short on words as he is on stature Hokage-sama."

"He said little?"

"A miniscule amount, even under the magnifying glass of my questioning."

"Interesting, well enough small talk Talon, let's see what he has to say on the matter. Shall we hope it isn't a tall tale?"

"Your wordplay is sharp as ever Hokage-sama, but on a serious note we could get nothing out of him. He's either needs a whack around the head or he's shy to the extent he needs help."

"Well Naruto?"

Before he could open his mouth Talon interrupted.

"You know who he is?"

"He's a shinobi under my command Talon. I know **all** of them. Now be quiet whilst he speaks. Naruto?"

"I was moving along the rooftops when I heard her scream. I went round the corner and killed both at range. When I went to talk to her, she screamed again and passed out. I then waited to be found by anyone who could help."

"Why didn't you take her immediately to the hospital?"

"There were two dead bodies, it would have caused alarm."

Talon nodded.

"He has a point."

"Why didn't you immediately signal for help?"

"I don't like making noise."

Talon chuckled.

"No, come on Hokage-sama he's not for real. He sounds like a kid. He looks like a kid. Come on Gibbon, let's drop that henge. Kai."

Nothing happened. He prodded Naruto.

"Huh. How much did he hire you for then?"

"You talk too much."

The Hokage did his best not to laugh as Talon recoiled.

"You talk too little Shorty."

"Your wit doesn't live up to your name?"

"O ho?"

"Talons are meant to be sharp."

The other ANBU and Hiruzen lost the ability to hold it in.

"Ah, you got destroyed there Talon."

"Shut up Pig, you'll fry for this later."

The ANBU shut up in the presence of his superior.

"Ok, enough of this, it's too early for this kind of mess. Ah. Hare approaches."

The masked man came through the doors quickly and quietly.

"Hare. Report."

"The woman was much happier talking to a doctor thank you very much Talon."

"Hey, I wanted answers now. You've delayed this by at least an hour. Just because she was shivering and covered in blood doesn't mean getting a statement was beyond reason."

The man sighed.

"Anyway, she believed she was about to be raped by the two gentlemen in question until the black shadow saved her. Unfortunately she was so terrified by the shadow she passed out again. She's slightly embarrassed and shaken up, but otherwise fine."

The Hokage steepled his hands and leant back.

"Well then, that seems to wrap everything up. The Hogesuri brothers are not to be added to the monument, and to be disposed off as soon as possible. See to it Talon. Pig. Hare."

They chorused their assent, and moved out, sharing a quick joke as they left. Hare's exasperated sigh was cut off by the Hokage shutting the door.

"Sit down Naruto-kun."

He sat.

"You killed two of my ninja without authority, without permission, and without thought as to the consequences. You did so in the streets of this city, and you did so during a time where security here is somewhat raised by the presence of several foreign shinobi."

Naruto had dropped the hood and stared back at him. The defiance was still in his visible eye. But there was something more.

"I recall warning you about the use of force against your comrades after the incident with Hinata-san."

More silence.

"You killed them without any sort of attempt to capture them Naruto. Whilst their eventual fate might have been the same, you took a big risk."

"I had to stop the screaming."

"But you didn't have to kill to do so."

"I had to stop the screaming."

He looked at the stare. There were the beginnings of tears in his lone, visible eye. Something was definitely wrong.

"You realise I should almost definitely have you thrown into the cells for such actions? That that would be the correct course of action for any other shinobi in your position."

"I did the right thing."

He paused. The defiance was back, strongly now. Naruto held the conviction in his voice.

"You probably did, but you were lucky. I will have to put you on probation though, you will work with teams for the next two months so I can have someone keep an eye on you."

"Hai."

"Is there anything you would like to talk about."

"No."

_'He's lying. But I think it's to himself more than me. I'll give him time.'_

"You are dismissed. Report at the usual time for your mission."

Naruto disappeared from view faster than usual. Talon came back through the doorway and slammed his hand on the desk.

"I want him for ANBU. Right now. Give him to me and I will mould him into one the best shinobi you could ever have. I will make him better than Dog made me."

"Surprising to see you so demanding Talon."

"He understands, he's been well trained. Who trained him?"

"I have no idea."

"Bullshit."

"Calm yourself Talon. You may be head of ANBU since Dog retired, but speak to me with such a tone again and someone else may take the position. It is odd actually, Dog wants to train him as well."

The ANBU untensed.

"Apologies Hokage-sama. But I've looked as his records. I can see the tell-tell signs of some meddling. Goodness knows I've done a bit of it myself when I induct someone, but even so. He's not even 16 is he?"

"13. And barely."

"Kami. What is he?"

"What I am about to tell you is an S-ranked secret Talon."

"S-ranked?"

"Yes. He was born on the 10th of October."

"But that date 13 years ago...oh. Orphan?"

"Yes. But it's worse."

"I see."

"It's possibly the most stringent bit of covering up I ever did. Silences were bought or...manufactured by black ops."

_'I can't take all the credit, Danzo certainly did some of the dirty work. Well most of it. I signed the documents allowing him to. Well gave him permission verbally at least.'_

"So that kid. The one who kills. Is in fact a Jinchuuriki?"

"You know the term? Impressive, I know there was a reason I chose you."

"So it wasn't my dashing good looks distracting all the Kunouchi then? I knew it was too good to be true."

"Your humour was a good tertiary reason I assure you Talon."

They chuckled.

"So that's why he's been hidden. Who trained him then?"

"Someone I trust."

"That sounds more sinister than it should be."

"Think nothing more on it."

"I won't."

He knew Talon would follow the order, no matter how informal it was.

"So can I have him? Even with his condition ANBU seems to be the place for him. Plus he has a sense of humour, even if he is a tad weird."

"You're the first to bring it out of him. I think he just saw the word play as another challenge."

"Even so, I can see uses for him. Can you let me take him on a mission?"

"Well, he does need supervision and training at the moment. He currently is only receiving instruction from Anko."

"Outcasts with something in common eh?"

"They formed a connection on a mission, I'm happy if a touch surprised."

"Well that means he should be getting used to poison. He's definitely assassin material."

"He is, I have worries though?"

"His record seems to show his abilities are excellent. What worries could you have?"

"I don't think he's stable Talon. Look at tonight. He acted too much on impulse. He tries to stay several steps ahead and tonight he just shot without thinking. Maybe it was the time restraint, but there is something wrong."

He pulled out a document.

"Mission report from a T&I mission he accompanied. He made 3 kills in that mission, all clean. But he seems to have a problem with screaming. And pain."

"A killer who doesn't like the sound of people in pain? At least he's not a psycho then. That sounds like a human response. He is only thirteen, getting freaked out by the T&I teams at that age is hardly unlikely."

"Something goes deeper than that. He needs therapy. He needs people to talk to, to whom he can talk about anything. He has no-one in that position he can go to easily. He needs medical attention Talon. I'm not sure the ANBU schedule fits him. He's a piece in the puzzle that doesn't fit anywhere."

"I'll see what I can do to help reshape him then. I like him."

"Good luck Talon. Just...try not to introduce him too closely to Gibbon."

"Why ever not?"

"Because he's stealthy enough that it takes me a minute to find him if I want to. Kami help us all if he becomes a prankster."

Under the mask, Talon grinned. Oh he knew what to do with this one.

* * *

_Edit 18/10/12: Finally got round to fixing Naruto's birth month to the right month (eep). In my defence, April and October and really similar. Right? Please?_


	13. Little Lion

Danzo put down his pen without looking up. He could feel the change in the air, that slight turbulence that another person caused. He could sense the chakra, suppressed and hidden like any of his shinobi would. He could tell, even in the darkness of his office, where the only light was directed to the documents on his desk.

"Naruto. Welcome back."

"Lord Danzo."

He knelt before the desk. He had felt compelled to come back. To understand what was wrong.

"How are things in the light?"

"Confusing."

Danzo kept his face in the dark.

"How so?"

"I keep remember my third mission."

"The third? Ah yes. I recall that you encountered difficulties in that mission. I recall you overcame them and were successful."

"It is one of those difficulties I continue to remember."

Danzo kept his face impassive, but he felt older than he had ever felt.

He himself was remembering the first of the dark days when he had run the Root. His first recruits expanding into his small but elite cadre of soldiers. Of the losses incurred and the rebuilding that he had had to do after one particular disaster with an ally he'd never work with again.

He knew that dark deeds haunted ninja. Too many had to retire because they simply could not deal with what they had done. Depression was as much a killer as good enemy work.

It was usually best if a ninja stopped before it took too strong a hold. If they did, there was a chance of them being able to work in the future, or to train, or to find a purpose beyond running missions.

If they kept going like some did, accepting the symptoms, the consequences were dire. At best, they got injured when they weren't paying full attention, or performed badly enough that team leaders were able to see it in time and intervene.

At worst, they actively sought death, or brought it upon themselves.

He remembered the fate of the White Fang, and its effect on those who had known him. The loss of his skills after one failed mission had been dramatic, and spurred him on to remove such emotional deficiencies.

He looked at Naruto, a boy of thirteen. Not so much a boy as a man now, a mature adult who weighed up decisions through the eyes of someone with world experience.

Root shinobi were special because they kept emotion in check, or in some cases, entirely repressed. His way of raising them did that.

Naruto had been a little different. Hiruzen had given him to be trained, and Danzo had done just that. Except Naruto had never had to kill a comrade who wasn't a threat, never had to go through what the other Root had gone through.

His emotions were suppressed, but he could see the cracks in the barriers beginning to form.

"You must remember the mantras of control Naruto. You must keep your emotion in check if you are to succeed. Squash the memories, and trust in yourself."

Naruto nodded.

"You always have the seal Naruto. It can lock away anything you want to lock away."

Naruto shook his head subconsciously.

The seal that adorned his stomach was something he kept hidden at all times. The seals surrounding it had been added when he had been young, and had uses beyond those that the original had. They were something which he never wanted to have or to use.

Not that he hadn't considered using it. If all else failed he'd use it. But to just lock things away?

He had tried before, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. A sense of revulsion gripped him when he tried. He knew how but...

"You never want to use it do you?"

"No Lord Danzo."

"This is why you were never truly a full Root shinobi. Do not misunderstand me, you are amongst the finest I have trained, and you are one of my best operatives. But you do not use this one advantage that you have to become a full Root shinobi. It is why Hiruzen took you from the dark."

_'I think of you as a son Naruto, but one I knew could never be me.'_

"I just feel that using it is wrong. It is the only dislogic I allow myself. The use of the seal would be logical, and I would be able to become a true Root shinobi. I just believe it to be...wrong. I feel..."

Danzo knelt down and put a hand on the boys shoulder.

"You feel. That is not the Root way. Tell me, what is the logic behind your statement? Examine your assumptions and test your theories. You know the answer yet you deny it on a feeling. That is what makes you something different. It could make you greater."

Naruto nodded.

"Now go, I can see in your eye that you haven't slept in days. Go. Sleep."

He nodded and left.

He made the journey home by rooftop, shadow to shadow and cover to cover on instinct. He slid through the window and shrugged off the cloak before collapsing onto the bed.

Sleep came quickly, and was blissfully scream free.

* * *

He jolted awake when he heard the slight rustle from inside his apartment. That was unexpected. That meant somebody really clever was in the apartment. In fact they were in his bathroom.

After Baka's attempts at getting in, he had decided to modify various things about his apartment.

The door hinges had been intentionally roughened and de-oiled, such that they squeaked at the slightest movement. It had been a change from his original specifications, which had them make no noise whatsoever. He had realised he would never use the door anyway, so might as well trap the thing.

The roof tiles had been subtly modified as well to make noise. As had the window. As had the floor in various places only he would remember.

There was very little chance of anyone being able to make it in, let alone be able to move inside his veritable fortress of an apartment.

But someone was, no doubt, picking their way very, very gingerly through the apartment.

He reached out and threw up his favourite shadow enhancing genjutsu, tossed his cloak over his shoulders, grabbed his tanto and slithered silently to the door, and waited.

The figure was definitely clever. They knew they had made a noise and had deliberately waited several minutes. He knew because he was now watching the figure through the wall. His eye had some advantages.

They were definitely skilled. He could barely see the chakra they were suppressing as well as he compressed his. They were armed with a short katana blade and a variety of other equipment, but that only confirmed the obvious.

The black armour plates and mask meant this was an ANBU. It also meant that it was Talon.

Why was Talon breaking into his apartment in the dead of night. He swiftly checked outside. There were two more figures in the trees. He strongly suspected that they were Pig and Hare.

So, either this was them playing a prank or he had a new test. Or a new mission.

Well then, best to make a good impression.

He waited for Talon to move.

When he did, it was beautifully done. Talon opened the door noiselessly, then moved through the door with his hands already going through the signs for a jutsu. They stopped when he felt the flat of Naruto's tanto against his back.

Naruto got the impression from his body language the man was laughing silently.

"Nicely done. What jutsu was I about to use?"

"None, even if my blade isn't made for it, it would gut you before your jutsu happened."

"What if it had already been done?"

He vanished and pressed his sword into Naruto's neck. His voice was a satisfied whisper.

"You didn't see that coming did you? I hit the genjutsu when I came through the door, you let off a little bit of chakra before I did. That gave me your location. You'll have to do better to outdo an ANBU captain."

The Naruto he held captive vanished in smoke and there was the click of a crossbow being aimed in a deliberate fashion.

"You talk too much. I saw through the genjutsu, and the chakra you saw was for my clone."

Talon whistled.

"Well, that is impressive. What jutsu am I about to use now?"

"None, because the crossbow bolt will remove your higher brain functions."

"Try."

Naruto's hand punched the trigger, sending the bolt slamming into a chair that was suddenly there instead of the man's head.

He felt the tip of the katana pressed against his back. This time his actual back.

"Wrong again, even though I didn't actually think you would pull the trigger on me. The extra signs, although unnecessary for me to use the Karawimi jutsu normally, make it much easier to use at speed. At my whim. Now then, any other tricks?"

Talon heard the rustle as Naruto raised an explosive tag. That struck him as a little extreme, and as Naruto has been willing to shoot him to prove a point, so he decided to back down.

The sword tip was withdrawn and the tag quickly stowed.

"You would really kill us both?"

"Better than just me dying."

"Go out with a bang. You have a crazy streak right there. I like it."

"It would be the right decision."

"What if you could stall until a teammate came to save you?"

"Oh...didn't consider that. I'm usually alone on missions. In which case I'd see how close they were and make a judgement."

"Atta boy, you're learning. Now, I'm not just here for shits and giggles, you're coming on a mission. Put on this mask."

The man tossed him an ANBU mask. He checked the animal on the front.

It was adorned with the features of a lion. He felt oddly cheated.

"Put it on Lion, you roll with the ANBU, you damn well look like one."

He snapped the mask in place and pulled up his hood over it. In the dark of his apartment, you couldn't actually tell the mask was on in the first place.

"Now let's get outside, I assume you're already packed for the mission?"

"Yes."

"Ahh, good to know I was right. I'm sure your house will look after itself. What with the roof modifications, the fact the door is probably booby trapped and don't think I don't know about the little modification you made to the lock. That is going to get someone hurt if they're not careful."

Naruto couldn't help but find himself feeling at ease with the man. His demeanour, his body language. It was that of a professional. Shame he was as eccentric as the rest of the shinobi forces seemed to be. Somewhere there had to be a remotely normal shinobi in the regular forces.

They landed outside where Hare and Pig were waiting, he pulled them into an awkward bearhug by their necks.

"Ah, the team is back together."

Pig snorted as he escaped the hug.

"We were only apart for twenty minutes Talon. What took so bloody long about getting the kid?"

"I wanted to test him. He's a lively one."

"Looks quiet to me. You sure he's lion-hearted?"

"Don't make a meal of it pig, or it'll end up in chops for you."

Hare just sighed.

"Enough of the terrible wordplay. Get to the damn briefing."

Talon elbowed him gently.

"You love it really Hare, don't lose any hair over it."

The sigh got deeper. Naruto realised this man was the most eccentric he'd ever seen. Even Anko was a little more sane. He wondered if this was the worst he would come across. He couldn't help but feel it wouldn't be.

"Right then, we'll brief on the move, we are elite."

They moved to the rooftops and began to make haste.

Naruto realised that, despite their appearances, they were all quick. And good. Very good. He forced himself onwards to keep up with their pace.

As they went, Talon spoke into the radio-piece the team was linked by. Despite the distortion from the radio as they swept out into the forests surrounding Konoha, his voice kept the same odd enthusiasm in it.

"Right, turns out the chunin exams, remember them lads? Our year was piss wasn't it? Right. Turns out there's been a spot of bother with..."

Naruto got the feeling his channel cut out at that moment for less than coincidental reasons,

"...aru. Of course, the old dog, Dog, called it in so we know he's in the area. Our job is to find him and track him, hopefully to his base of operations. If we're lucky, he won't spot us, very lucky, he'll wear a target on his head and let us kill him. However, there's a good chance that if found, we're gonna have to fight our way out of it in what we know as a tactical retreat. The information is vital, so let's get it right. So track, mark and return. Any questions?"

Pig's tone cut through into his ear.

"What if we encounter resistance that isn't in the form of..."

It cut out again. That was annoying. He did not like being kept in the dark. If he wanted to be in the dark he would stay there.

"...nake bitch?"

"Anko is not on this mission."

"You know damn well who I mean Talon."

"Ohhh, you need to be clear about these things Pig. In that case, kill only if you can hide it. No alarms, no shock and awe. If you can capture someone who won't be missed that would be handy, but makes our exit a lot more difficult. Which I won't appreciate because of the fucking paperwork it'll mean I do."

"Then Gibbon can have more fun."

He was sure he heard Hare sigh again.

"Never let him near me again when I'm doing paperwork. That mission, and the number of 516 forms I had to fill in after it because he kept intercepting them from my reliable messenger."

Pig's voice was indignant.

"He was very distracting!"

"No. The food was. You're just a pig Pig."

"Hey, don't insult the weight. My clan needs it to fight."

So that meant Pig was an Akimichi. He was a brute force user. Naruto factored it in. He wasn't used to planning for multiple people, but the more he knew about what they might do, the better he could work around his teammates. He knew that he should work _with_ them, but working around gave him more freedom.

Hare cut it out again.

"When you two are quite done I have a question?"

"Shoot."

"Does Anko know about this?"

"She is currently in hospital because she found him during the exam's first. You know what happens to her then."

"Ouch."

Naruto was curious.

"What happens to Anko-chan?"

The radio went silent. Talon's voice was serious on the other end.

"Personal secret of hers kid. Ask her yourself if you dare."

There was more silence before Pig was heard once again.

"Wait...did you call her Anko-chan?"

"She said that was what I should call her."

There was a tiny moment of silence then laughter from all three of them. Hare actually turned to look at him as they leapt through the trees.

"Oh you lucky little kid, most of us only call her that if we want to die."

"Why would you want to die?"

"It's an expression Lion. I ain't lyin'."

Hare stared daggers, as much as you could tell with the masks on, at Talon. But the feeling was there.

"One more bad pun and I won't heal you next time you break your arm sparring."

So Hare was a doctor. A leader, a brute, and a doctor. And him. An assassin specialising in stealth, genjutsu, range and silence. An interesting balance.

"Oh Hare you wouldn't."

"Want to bet on that?"

"Touché."

The ANBU's playful, if sometimes extraordinarily dirty, banter continued the entire way towards the area where his appearance had been marked. Naruto heard words he'd never heard used before in contexts he'd never heard used before, and tried to work out what exactly certain words were meant to mean.

The trees began to thin, and a rockier landscape near the border with the minor villages began to emerge.

He heard Pig's voice through his earphones.

"Kakashi takes him to train out here? This Uchiha kid is very high maintenance."

Talon's voice sounded jovial, but Naruto thought there was something more to it.

"You're telling me? I've seen the records. He's kept a couple of ANBU busy over the years watching, and recently eight of my men guarding him were killed. Eight. And we don't know who or why. We assume it's our quarry, but even so. It is bad."

"Eight, you serious?"

"Very much so."

"Damn. This kid is definitely more trouble than he's worth. Why do we keep him around?"

"Because he's the last of his clan, we're humanitarian bastards like that. His clan has a dojutsu that is considered ridiculously valuable, and he's considered a prodigy."

"Oh. That."

The voices tailed off as they reached the area. Night was beginning to fall, and Naruto activated his Byakugan to see more clearly.

He saw a small dog a couple of hundred metres away.

"I can see Pakkun. Kakashi is Dog isn't he?"

"You're not meant to know that kid."

"It makes sense. Why do you give people masks associated with their personality? Or in my case, why not another animal."

"Hokage's orders. Now let's go say hello to Dog."

Kakashi didn't look in the greatest of states. He had a sleepless look to him, like he'd been watching the entrance. His dogs didn't look in a great state or rest either.

It transpired, after some of Talon's hidden supply of alcohol was borrowed by the man, that he and the dogs had been keeping watch since Orochimaru had made his appearance.

Sasuke was still unconscious in the back of the cave where Kakashi had been sealing him, so guard was all he had been able to do.

Right now, Talon was helping to relax him.

"So, how long left until the finals?"

"Two weeks...I think. I'm sure it won't matter if we're a bit late."

"You haven't changed Dog."

"Speak for yourself Talon, look at you, big captain now. How does it feel?"

"Great."

"The paperwork?"

"How did you live? I have a team of genin on continuous D-rank helping sort it with the backroom staff and I swear it comes in faster than it goes out."

"Ah. I'm not telling you my secret."

"Definitely haven't changed have you Dog."

"Well, I've had to mature now that I have a team to look after. As Lion will tell you I am a wonderful sensei. Aren't I Lion?"

Naruto wasn't entirely surprised the man had recognised him. Then again, he was still wearing the same cloak as before, in fact, he looked exactly the same. He wasn't used to this many people meeting him more than once.

He marked that as an observation he would reflect on later.

"Yes."

Talon chuckled.

"Is that a 'Yes, you are indeed you magnificent son of a bitch', or a 'Yes, but basically no.'"

"The latter."

Kakashi sighed as Talon laughed again.

"Alright Dog, look after yourself you hear? I will get the secret of your paper working skills out of you yet."

"Ha, in the next life."

The clapped hands before the ANBU team moved out in the direction Kakashi had given them.

* * *

Kakashi turned back to the cave to find Naruto standing there once again.

"Your secret was shadow clones wasn't it?"

"Yep."

Kakashi smiled as Naruto's clone disappeared from view. The boy was exceptional. He found himself once again wishing that he was Naruto's sensei and not Sasuke's. They were both oddly similar.

Both could rightly be considered geniuses. Both had dark pasts, at least you had to assume that with Naruto, but no child became an assassin without some sort of dark past. Especially one that didn't show up on the official records. Both were orphans, both were perfectly happy to kill.

Yet in every way there were different. Naruto was a soulless machine, who did the job and nothing more. He got the kill, he was professional. He was polite. He knew his skills and his place and stayed there.

Sasuke was...Sasuke was entirely different in that regard. He was arrogant, brought about by his own skills being greater than those of everyone around him. He was driven, so, so driven by hatred. But he was effective, and creative.

They weren't light and dark. No, one of his other genin was the light.

Naruto was the blend of the two. The grey. The ghost.

He heard a groan as Sasuke regained consciousness. Time to keep training then.


	14. An Official Conversation

The trail reached the borders of Fire Country and straight into the Land of Rice Fields.

The fact Orochimaru's trail led here was confusing. Most of the smaller countries north of Fire were peaceful areas. Yugakure had long since abandoned producing shinobi, and the Land of Rice fields was mostly farmers who supplied a lot of the food in the region.

Takigure had been the most suspect territory towards the northern borders, being notoriously difficult to even communicate with them, but the trail had lead to the Land of Rice Fields.

Or it didn't, as the latest ANBU briefing information now named it as the Land of Sound. The Daimyo had apparently decided a name change was in order, and had done so as was his right.

He'd never publically given the reason why, but had merely declared it to be an extension of his extensive and synergistic diversification project. Naruto had looked up all the words involved in that sentence, and had trouble making them into a coherent thought.

Talon knew exactly what it meant. It actually meant _'I'm not telling you, and that's final'_.

They paused on the side of the small stream that gurgled gently towards the ocean. It was also the boundary between the two nations.

"Right, from now onwards we are trespassing on another nation's sovereign territory, where if we are caught we could face..."

Hare cut him off.

"You do this stupid speech every damn time Talon. We get it. Let's go already."

"But Lion hasn't heard the speech."

"I'm sure Lion doesn't care."

"But it's important!"

"It is not mission critical and hence he believes it to be a waste of time. Am I right Lion?"

Naruto nodded.

"Hare is correct."

The sigh was long and disappointed.

"Fine, let's just go."

Maps of the region were quite sketchy to say the least. Although the administrative centre, the Daimyo's fort, was clearly marked, there was little else except mile upon mile of small farming villages and rice fields.

All four members of the team were happy they could water walk. The principles involved applied equally well to the slippery mud that made up the landscape.

It took four days of moving through the countryside and seeing small village after small village that they truly knew the trail had gone cold. Very cold.

Pig cursed as he slipped and sank a leg into the thick mud. Hare and Talon didn't bother laughing, the mission was beginning to get to them. They had spent the better part of a week wandering around mudfields for no result.

"There is nothing here Talon, why are we still looking? He appears to have slithered out of grasp."

"Rare to hear wordplay from you Hare."

"That was unintentional."

They stopped for rations in a small copse of trees that broke the seemingly endless fields.

"Nothing seems to be wrong. Everyone we've talked to, everyone has said that nothing has changed. Looks like he has escaped. The only big news was that some people had gone missing, but that happens everywhere in the country."

Naruto considered this. Whoever they were chasing was apparently big news, but they had left no impact by entering the country. Even this small nation had some ninja around, but they were easily avoidable. They would surely have noticed.

He mentally examined the entire situation again.

_'If this is the norm, then the presence of the target has not changed the norm. This implies that the presence of the target is the norm.'_

"What if having Orochimaru here is the norm for Oto?"

All three of the ANBU snapped round to look at him. Talon shook his head.

"Ok, several things worry me about that statement. First of all, how did you know it was him?"

"The wordplay and that I know more than you think I do. He's possibly the greatest criminal and one of the strongest shinobi we've ever produced."

"That sounds too much like admiration. But you think him being here is the norm? That means he practically owns a small nation on Konoha's borders."

"Well, nothing seems to have changed from his apparent arrival, so either he isn't here, and Dog was wrong, or his being here is normal. He was known for kidnap in his time."

"If that were true, where are his bases? There's no fort of any practicable size that isn't owned by the Daimyo."

"Why don't we try there? If he does own the nation, it would be clear that he would own the Daimyo."

Talon considered this.

"If you're right, and that is a big if, you do know that means we have to go and question the Daimyo right?"

"Yes."

"It doesn't bother you that you are about to break into the fortress of one of the more powerful lords in the elemental nations, and that if you get caught you'll be killed."

"No. I've done it before."

There was silence before Hare and Pig both lost it and started laughing uproariously.

"I don't know what I find funnier Talon," Pig managed between breathless laughs, "That I believe the kid, or that he has bigger balls than you have."

Naruto wasn't aware of any balls he owned other than those used in ninja work or anatomically. If the former, he was probably mistaken, and the latter...how on earth did he know? Surely Talon was older and hence larger.

He tried to put that thought out of his mind.

Talon sulked quickly before returning to his normal self.

"So, what's the plan Lion? Just walk right on in?"

"Well. Mostly."

* * *

The three ANBU walked slightly awkwardly towards the gates of the fortress, Konoha headbands clearly on display.

They just weren't used to the situation they were going into. Firstly, they had got themselves caught, and been under escort to the fort.

Secondly, Naruto had decided to get into the fortress beforehand on his own, and merely handed them small vials containing a clear liquid, with the cryptic instructions: '_You'll know when to use the antidote.'_

Thirdly, that Talon had actually agreed to this plan, the fact not lost on Talon himself as he walked slowly, looking at the armed ninja ahead and beside him.

The fact he calculated that his team could kill all 12 of them within two point six minutes as a worst case gave him some comfort.

But the thing that bothered them the most was the fact that they were doing this without their masks. They were ANBU for Kami's sake, why did they have to take off their masks.

It wasn't that they'd seen each other without them before. You knew your ANBU squad mates like family; you needed to when you shared a single room in the barracks. It was just that on a mission, it felt...wrong.

Right now, they were not ANBU; they were just a trio of chunin with an unexpected message for the Daimyo about an urgent matter.

As it turned out, Pig could write the letter in the style of the Daimyo the best, and had penned a letter about a guard trading scheme to better tie the nations together.

Talon had to admit, the entire exercise sounded plausible. Too plausible. He wondered if the Sound Daimyo would find it suspicious.

So the ANBU team walked onwards in silence. The guard squad escorting them was neither good conversation, or seemed to like the idea of their prisoners talking too much. They'd been allowed to keep their equipment, doing otherwise would have been a breach of good diplomatic relations.

He only wished he knew what Lion was doing as the great gates to the castle-fort swung open to allow them access and a scurrying official bade them welcome.

* * *

In the second highest tower of the fort, in one of the small dark rooms that no-one ever went near because it was perpetually locked, Naruto set to work on his part of the plan.

The small chemistry set gurgled gently. Anyone who was looking at what he was doing would die quickly, but anyone who survived long enough to look would not be able to tell what all the different liquids were. None of them looked very threatening, there were no deep toxic colours, only pale solutions that shimmered in their containers.

He precisely poured one into another, hearing the slight hiss and bubbling that meant the reaction was happening as he intended.

As it was, he was busy synthesising a toxin that he could slip into the Daimyo's food that would cause him to panic. It wasn't actually deadly unless he made the dose too high. It felt odd that he was only using it to scare the man. A small amount more and he could kill the man as slowly as he wanted.

It should give him shortness of breath by the toxin bonding to the red blood cells, and this would hopefully cause him discomfort enough that there was concern.

Anko's instructions from the first session were relatively easy, and this was one of the simpler poisons that could be created on the go.

He made calculations based on the fleeting observations of the man he had seen. He was large, although he put that down to living a rich lifestyle. He estimated the man's weight, metabolism, build. He guessed at diet, how the man would react to food. He'd observed a meal to see if there were any allergies. In the space of a day, he had built up a biological picture of the man.

Based on that, he measured out the number of drops it would take to put the man through the ordeal he wanted him to go for. Then he prepared the second vial he had swiped from T&I when nobody had been watching him.

Then he waited for the right moment to strike.

* * *

After several dull hours of having the proper checks and balances done, and as far as Talon knew, the correct jutsu, voodoo spells and small animal sacrifices due to the time taken, they were admitted to dinner with the Daimyo.

They were apparently dealing with a man for believed in buttering people up in an almost literal sense. At least they would be eating well this evening, possibly sleeping in more comfort if negotiations dragged on.

Talon suspected that Naruto's plan wouldn't give them that luxury. Still, the starter went without incident, with the Daimyo talking at length all about his fine land.

He found himself almost entranced by the way the man's moustache wobbled as he went on and on about the glory of the almost never-ending rice fields.

It took a special kind of man, he reflected, to love rice farming and the economy behind it to rise to his position. Then again, he and several others in his trade were just as obsessed with the vast variety of ways there were to kill another human being. Was there even that much difference between the two? A wide variety of techniques and methods, discussion about those and an end yield that had to be maximised.

He realised he hadn't listened one bit to anything the man had said. It was a good thing he was still going, even if he was nearly bored to tears.

The starters departed, and a variety of serving boys came in with another variety of dishes for the main course. One such boy bowed low, carrying a wide dish of seafood Onigri.

He mumbled gently as he proffered the tray to his lord first.

"What? Speak up my boy."

"M-my Lord, the chef presents this dish with his finest compliments, the fish especially was caught in the sharpest talons of an eagle, which the supplier claimed were so sharp they could not hold it."

"Oh-ho! Quite a tale my boy, quite a tale. Off with you, give my thanks to the chef for bringing me my favourite dish."

The man took one of them, savoured the smell, and swallowed it in an ungainly movement unbecoming of his status.

Talon merely waited for the end results.

"My Lord, you were talking about the export rates and logistics?"

"Ah, not quite. I was explaining the tariffs, ever so slightly different to the rates dear guest."

He coughed a little and drank from his cup.

"My apologies, anyway, ah yes, the tariffs."

He took another drink and pounded his chest. Talon played the diplomat.

"Are you feeling alright my Lord?"

"It feels like some of that went down the wrong tubes. I'm sure it will be just fine. Boy! Bring me water, I fear if I drink too much more of this fine sake, I will be unable to concentrate and discuss with my guests."

The serving boy ran off to fetch the water.

Talon watched as the man's face lost some of his healthy redness, he decided this was the time to act.

He discretely emptied the antidote vial into his own glass.

"My Lord, your glass is empty, take some of mind."

"Ah, thank you Iniko. The Fire Lord picks his messengers well."

He drank from the glass and coughed again.

"Ah. That feels...good. I will still need the water, where is that boy."

The servant boy ran in, holding a jug of water. The lord drank from it without delay.

"Thank you boy, you serve me well this evening."

The boy bowed and left again. Talon took the opportunity.

"My Lord, on our travels, we heard news of some missing people from a couple of the villages. I'm sure our lord would happily offer the services of some tracking teams if they need to be found."

The man chuckled.

"I'm sure Oto's own shinobi forces have the problem well in hand, have no worries. Our country is prospering like never before since a benefactor arrived to help our training."

Pig and Hare looked decidedly more nervous, and busied themselves with any food that was not seafood.

"A benefactor? Perhaps you could lend him to Konoha some time, we would I'm sure pay handsomely for such a man. Or woman of course, this is an era of equality."

The lord chuckled.

"Ah, I believe he is due to visit Konoha soon enough, after all, some of his team made it through the first rounds of the chunin exams. I obviously can't name him, or your lord would simply buy him from me."

"Oh, surely a secret between friends my Lord?"

"I simply cannot say, I fear the idea is too...scaly for dinner talk."

"An interesting choice of words my Lord."

"Oh, yes, rather. A poor one."

_'Lie.'_

"Your Lord mentioned guard sharing schemes?"

"That's all covered in the letters we brought with us. I'm still interested in the rise of Oto's stock as shinobi. Some people are beginning to whisper your name as the sixth great nation."

"Oh you flatterer, my benefactor would be tickled to hear that from a Konoha shinobi."

_'Ok, that settles it. This is bad.'_

"I regret I won't be able to see him in action at the chunin exam finals. They're close aren't they?"

"Not more than a few days I believe, we hope to have our work here done by then. But your benefactor in action? I hope you mean he will shame us on the dance floor at the official banquet as opposed to any sort of military action. Such a thing would be unthinkable at such a time."

"Ah, you amuse me sir. You do indeed. Sadly I fear this food has made me tired, I believe negotiations are done."

_'He knows he's said too much. How on earth did Lion get hold of the stuff from T&I? I might need him to steal some for our own use at some point.'_

"Thank you for your time my lord, I'm sure our counterpart shall look forward to hearing your reply soon enough."

They parted company. Talon gently but forcefully fobbed off the offer of accommodation for the evening, and the team hit the main road from the fort until they were out of sight. He checked over his shoulder every so often to see if anyone was following them. It appeared that the Sound Lord wasn't too bothered by the prospect of their escape.

They moved into a small copse of trees by the side of the road and recovered the gear they had left behind.

Pig sighed happily as the mask snapped back into place over his face.

"That was insane."

Hare too got his mask into place and pulled the katana onto his back again.

"Too right, that plan was risky. Lion played a dangerous hand."

Pig snorted.

"I meant the food. Such quality, I should push for a place on our Daimyo's guards."

Hare laughed.

"You would be thinking about the food."

Talon had finished and was looking around.

"Where is Lion?"

"Here."

Naruto dropped from one of the trees, his cloak giving a small rustle.

"Good, I'd say our job is done, and we need to get the information back to the Hokage as soon as possible. Let's move out."

The team made haste through the land of Oto and back towards home.

* * *

_AN_

_First a thanks to everyone who reviews. A hundred reviews is a great start before the story has even hit 50k words, and I am incredibly happy that people are liking the fic._

_Secondly the fic won't be updated till early July as life has decided to get busy and internet free for the next week, and I'll be somewhere in Wales up a mountain for that time. So I apologise for breaking my update every three days routine._


	15. The Gathering Storm

The Hokage had made ready a larger pouch of his special tobacco after the last debriefing involving Naruto, and was now reaping the rewards of such a move. Every gram was going to be necessary.

He knew any sighting of Orochimaru was bad, but he didn't like hearing his suspicions confirmed.

Although, he'd already known. Danzo had told him several months before, his spies in the Daimyo's courts reporting the meetings, the promises of power and the dark bargain the man had struck.

Now, an ANBU mission sent to find where he had gone had confirmed it. And still not found him. Although it was all falling into place. Somehow Naruto was at the centre of it all. Somehow despite his success at not being noticed, his hiding in shadows, somehow he was at the centre again. He wondered what Kami was thinking.

"Pig, Hare, fetch me Shikaku, Ibiki and Jiraiya immediately. Then you are dismissed."

ANBU did not question orders, even one as ominous as these.

That left Talon, Naruto and the Hokage to wait. Another wad of the thick tobacco was added to the pipe by the Hokage, who showed no signs of being anything other than calm. It was the mark of a good leader.

Talon knew what was about to happen. As the requested figures entered the room, each knew what it was too, they gathered in a loose circle around the Hokage's desk.

Shikaku looked at the people present, sighed, and spoke first.

"This is going to be troublesome isn't it?"

"Perceptive as ever Shikaku. This is a council of defence. We have reason to believe that Konoha is going to come under attack in the coming days. Anyone want to put money on the exact date of the attack?"

The man with the back length white hair laughed.

"If only Tsunade were here. Not only would we have her here, but we'd be able to rule a day out immediately when she bet on it."

It got a few dry chuckles from the assemble meeting. Naruto remained stoically quiet.

"As I suspect you would all guess, the finals day. Not only do we have a large number of foreign delegates hanging around, but we suspect Orochimaru may be coming home for a visit. Hopefully his last."

Talon hit his fist into his palm, the dull thud of fist on metal padded glove.

"What's our plan?"

The Hokage nodded towards his chief strategist and commander. Shikaku thought for a few seconds.

"Unfortunately we cannot act too openly. Orochimaru will attack regardless of whether we are prepared or not, it wouldn't be like him to back out now. He's far too committed. If we started to beef up security, he would just unleash what he has now, some of it probably buried somewhere in our midst. Better that we find that discretely and shut it down when we can, then have a strategy prepared for the invasion.

The junchuuriki that Suna has will be an issue. He's the Kazekage's son, and he has issues with his anger. We don't want a junchuuriki unleashed in our midst now do we?

Suna is our ally, so that shouldn't be too much of a problem, so I recommend that we..."

The Hokage cut him off.

"No chances to take here, relations with Suna have been getting colder of late, and I want you plan to consider our worst case where they betray us."

"Hmm. Well the boy fights the Uchiha in his first match, which leads to the possibility of him getting injured during the fight. What you really want is someone to kill him at a moment's notice at any moment. Or Jiraiya to be ready to shut him down."

"Jiraiya will be best used dealing with any summons that he decides to unleash upon us, ready the toads for action if you can Jiraiya."

The man snorted.

"One does not simply ready the toads, but I'll warn Gamabunta to lay off the heavy stuff before the day. Are you sure you don't want me to deal with the Jinchuuriki though?"

"Yes."

Shikaku continued.

"What about Orochimaru? Surely Jiraiya-sama would be best to challenge his former teammate?"

The Hokage walked over to one of the panels of his office and slid it out of the way. Revealed was an old, but beautifully made suit of armour of the old variety.

"I will deal with my mistakes, along with any ANBU who are prepared to stand alongside me."

Talon slapped his chest with his palm.

"That will be me and just about every other ANBU within Konoha I reckon."

The Hokage smiled.

"Our objectives are clear then, root out and quietly remove any tendrils he has in Konoha, and have the reserves quietly put on standby. Also, once the finals start, begin evacuating the villages to the bunkers, we already risk enough of them in the stadium already. We will lose too many, but it is the best way."

They all nodded. War demanded sacrifice, and Naruto saw the core of steel, the decision that his former master would have made, etched into the action.

"Naruto, your job will be to eliminate Gaara when required."

He merely nodded. Jiraiya nearly fell over as he whipped round to look at him. The man moved faster than any person Naruto had ever seen as he threw the hood off his face.

"Can I help you?"

"We need to have a chat at some point."

The Hokage coughed.

"Now is not the time Jiraiya."

The man withdrew slowly, clearly unhappy at the situation.

"Everyone clear?"

There was a chorus of Hai's and nods.

"Get to work then. Let's hope we're all here when this is all over."

Everyone left but Naruto who lingered a few moments longer.

"You have more questions Naruto?"

"Yes. Why was I lion? Why not another animal?"

"They're assigned randomly. You seem to have outfoxed yourself through over thinking this."

Naruto caught the glimpse of amusement in the older man's eyes and smiled. It was a lie, and he knew the Hokage probably shouldn't have given him fox as a mask. It was still odd though.

* * *

He didn't go directly home. He found it odd that he now thought of the basic apartment as truly home. He went to T&I first.

He snuck in. You didn't really want to knock on the front door of T&I. Not that they had one, or a front desk of any sort.

On fact, he went in through the door of a baker's shop that was closed for refurbishment, through a trap door hidden on the floor, down several corridors and through an air vent before dropping into the actual department.

This late at night, the place still had a few grey clothed interrogators wandering about on various errands. He knew the right door to go through because of the slight smell of the sweet sauce.

Anko barely looked up as he came in, but smiled as she did so. She was sitting at her desk, with her back to him, feet resting on the desk as she chewed on something.

The chewing stopped and he ducked as the dango stick flew towards him and embedded itself slightly in the door, quivering a bit. She spun on the chair to face him.

"Darkie-kun! Here for some more private time with Anko-chan?"

She leant over as she did so, and he did his best not to stare at the sight present between the lapels of her trench coat. He had yet to fathom why it was so nice to stare it. Maybe it was the geometry of the squishiness or something.

He tore his mind away from it, and was instantly reminded of it by her smile. It was evil what she could do.

"Actually yes."

She licked her lips in a way that made him both want to run away and made more than just his legs a little stiff. What exactly was going on?

"Oooh, what do you have in mind Darkie-kun?"

"More about poisons, I got to use them in my last mission."

She smiled again, but it was a different smile.

"Good to know, you may be cute under that hood, but you are too young for me."

"For what?"

"You've never had that talk have you?"

"What talk?"

She looked both embarrassed but like she was savouring the moment.

"About sex."

She put a lot of emphasis on that second word, letting it drip thickly off her tongue. Naruto found himself struggling to think, but he did know what it was.

"You mean the physical process whereby a male and female can produce children?"

She looked like she had been slapped.

"Well, it has other uses. Seduction is a good assassassination tool, although mostly for Kunouchi. Plus it can be fun."

"It can be a recreational activity?"

"Yes. But poisons."

_'But in a few years though, assuming you stay that cute. You're actually a really nice guy somewhere deep down.'_

"I used one of the basic poisons on a mild dose to make the Sound Daimyo feel ill. I then had a teammate sneak him an antidote to gain trust, and then slipped some of the serum that makes people more susceptible to suggestion into a jug of water he asked for so he would give information."

Anko considered the plan.

"Did it work?"

"Yes. I was henged as a serving boy for at least two hours to pull it off."

"Any improvements you can think of? Did any of your teammates have any suggestions?"

"No, I didn't tell them anything beyond giving them antidotes to use."

Anko put her head in her hands, then winced as it slightly bent her shoulder. Naruto noticed.

"Are you ok?"

"Well no. But it's not really anything anyone can help with."

"Oh."

"I just find it funny you did that, go into a plan without telling anyone what was about to happen. Who were the poor bastards that had to deal with that?"

"Talon, Pig and Hare."

She looked at him to check if he was joking for about a millisecond. Then she fell to the floor laughing.

"They mentioned they knew you."

"Oh I know Talon very well. Is he the same as always?"

"You mean he indulges in pointless and terrible wordplay?"

"Yep."

"Ah. We knew each other some time ago, but well. It didn't work out."

"What didn't?"

"Oh. You really do have no clue about the interactions between people do you."

_"I don't."_

The admission nearly escaped his lips before he could really think about it. He quickly reviewed all the interactions between people in his life.

There was the training, formal, impersonal and littered with beatings and berating, but that was part of his training.

There was Lord Danzo, who gave him missions.

The Hokage, who talked to him differently, asked more questions that weren't about the mission, and talked about him when he wasn't there. He talked differently to Talon, the two sparring with their words.

Kakashi, with his oddly eager advice and willingness to help him.

There were the other genin his age, Hinata's accusation, polite but firm, holding on as long as she needed to. There was Sakura who seemed to communicate via hitting and screeching, Baka's oddly reverential talking to him, eager and full of life.

The ANBU, mission focused at times, then snapping to wild unfocused oddness.

He realised all the teams worked differently. The genin were the least focused and fastest acting, then the T&I and ANBU who were able to focus and unfocus at will, but in different ways.

Then there was Anko.

After a seconds thought, he hugged Anko very suddenly, awkwardly wrapping his arms around her, head slightly off to one side of her.

This knocked her backwards a little, but she caught him and pulled her arms around him just a little too. She was only slightly more familiar with friendly hugs than he was, and just as before, neither knew really how long to hold the contact.

She eventually pushed away to signal the end of the hug.

Naruto stood back, taking his normal, introverted posture as if nothing had actually happened.

"I know that, and that everyone seems to do things differently. What's the normal way?"

"There isn't one."

"That makes no sense to me."

"Yep. That's why you're so special Darkie-kun."

_'You're just utterly innocent despite being a hardened killer. What a contradiction you are.'_

"Is special good?"

"Yes."

Naruto nodded. By logic, this meant he was beginning to understand the process of human interaction. He would need to run more tests though.

Anko was about to speak more when Naruto suddenly leapt into one of the dark corners of the room and cloaked himself in a genjutsu. She was going to ask why when a junior member of the department cautiously opened the door.

"Umm, Ibiki-san requested your presence."

"Requested who?"

"You."

"Who?"

The man sighed and looked upwards as he tried to remember day one of his training.

"The super sexy and single Anko-chan."

"Who?"

The man started to panic, there was more he needed to say.

"The super sexy and single Anko-chan, queen of the snakes?"

The Dango stick pinned the collar of his uniform to the doorframe.

"Wrong. Tell Scarface-kun I'll be with him shortly. Then go and learn what to call me."

The man fled.

Naruto dropped from where he had been hiding.

"He appears to have relieved his bladder as he left."

"I have that effect."

"Not on me. Does it take time to happen?"

She laughed again.

"Nah. I don't want you to, you haven't annoyed me yet?"

"How do I annoy you?"

"Good question. Try."

He decided he would not. Annoying people seemed to be a social negative, and that was to be avoided if he was to try and be more sociable. This entire thing was a mess, none of his planning techniques seemed capable of holding human contact in their scope.

"The news isn't going to be good."

Anko smiled.

"That means it'll be interesting. I assume you heard it given? You could probably hide in the Hokage's office or the ANBU headquarters if you wanted to."

"Only if they weren't looking for me. Hokage-sama tends to be looking for me."

"You do realise all the things I'd do if I could hide like you right?"

"No."

"Probably for the best. See you soon Darkie-kun."

She performed an odd gesture which involved pouting and putting her hand in front of her face, then flattening it towards him with a wink.

He had absolutely no idea what it was. But it did make him feel off again.

He did have one job to do this night, he had some intelligence to gather.

He made the startling discovery that despite the time being somewhere in the region of two in the morning, his target was still awake and training.

This was more than could be said for Baka. It hadn't taken long to sneak into the records office and find out where his registered address was. And to check on his own files, which were absurdly brief. His own were just a name and a serial number on a file with very few bits of paper in it.

Baka had been snoring so loudly that Naruto had decided that trying to talk to him was going to be a waste of time. Whilst he had no qualms about waking the boy and getting the information from him, the noise created in the process was beyond what he wanted to do.

No, another quick trip had discovered the travel logs from the gatehouses, and given to him every detail of every visitor. Name, location of stay, passport numbers and so forth.

He made a note to warn the Hokage that the security was quite lax. The three guard patrols were a little sloppy, and the safe lock was easily broken into by someone with a Byakugan and some time.

So he found himself heading for a small establishment on the edge of the town, where the Suna delegation claimed to be lodging.

The place was small, which wasn't really in keeping with the people that housed it. That was probably part of the security regime they practised, but they didn't really seem all that worried in an allied town.

He'd seen three figures inside. The sensei was snoozing in his own room, and the two other figures were also resting.

His target wasn't there, so he'd gone on a little search for the most barren place he could think of in Konoha.

That had led him to training ground 66b.

It was a place that had been blasted and stripped by years of brutal overuse, and it was effectively a small dustbowl in the middle of the forests. It wasn't too far from the inn either, even so this person was a genin, why would he be training now?

He was staying at nearly the full range of his vision with the Byakugan and that was about as close as he wanted to get. The chakra was absurd.

It was also everywhere, literally swirling around the figure, assuming one was in there.

He'd expected no less. He knew what a junchuuriki was. You learnt that with Danzo. This was one who was using his powers freely and completely without constraint. That was dangerous.

He'd read the reports from the chunin exam preliminaries before coming to find him, and it made for interesting reading. He was certainly going to be a more difficult target than any he had attacked before, even if he was only a genin.

The sand would render his bow useless unless it could be disabled, and getting up close would lead to a swift death. Genjutsu were likely to be his ally in this, or surprise.

He considered going in to test what he could do to the boy, before dismissing it. It was suicide. Fortunately he had ways around that.

He formed a shadow clone, and it went off to do what it had to do.

About five minutes later, he saw the clone die, and he saw the end result. It was as if it got engulfed in chakra, presumably the sand.

Then he got the memory feedback from the clone. It wasn't pretty.

The boy was as described, short, red hair, and the eyes of someone who badly needs sleep. Aside from the hair, that was almost similar to how he looked much of the time.

The clone had been trying to hide and hadn't attacked at all. The boy had barely moved before turning straight at him, knowing exactly where he was despite the cover, clack, shadow genjutsu and the fact he was behind a rock.

That was disturbing; stealth beyond about twenty metres was not going to be effective, that ruled out almost all his options.

He found himself left with some options that were substantially difficult to achieve.

Number one was to learn a new technique to punch through the sand shield. That was virtually impossible given his time span.

Number two was poison. At this time, and given his status as the Kazekage's son, that was probably not a good idea. Not discrete enough.

The only really good options were to find himself a good distraction and hope it survived whilst he got the kill shot.

He realised that a couple of months ago he would have come to that conclusion more quickly, without bothering with the first two thoughts.

He decided to stay and observe the boy until he relented. Plus the swirling sand was surprisingly hypnotic. He found himself likening it to the dawn he vaguely remembered in the Wave, and wondered why he hadn't seen it then properly.


	16. Breaking

The stadium in Konoha was buzzing with the excited crowd, after all, nothing got people excited like watching teenagers engage in battles using lethal techniques to determine which were good enough to be promoted so they could kill more people in the line of duty for the honour of their country.

But regardless or any lingering moral questions, the great and the good of the world were sitting and ready to see what the next generation of shinobi were able to do. Eight contestants in a pyramid style tournament. Seven matches, one overall winner.

Currently, seven of the eight contestants were standing at the centre of the stadium in a loose line. The one who was missing was causing the crowd to become agitated. The star performer hadn't shown up yet, and his absence was loudly felt.

Naruto watched all of this from a position in the high, dark rafters under the roof stadium. He'd crawled up there after watching his target, and was now going to watch his every move, ready to strike if necessary.

Oddly enough, he was due to be fighting the missing Uchiha. Naruto knew that Kakashi wasn't an idiot, and probably just had a dramatic entrance planned. It fit with his personality. If he didn't turn up, his job became a lot harder.

That meant other contests were going to happen first. Not that they mattered to him. Unless the two competitors, a dark haired boy and a girl with a fan, were going to do anything spectacular, he would be watching his target.

He noted the fan down as something slightly interesting. It was useful for wind jutsu, but he could see the disadvantages. That was a weapon you could get too attached to, not good at all. He knew how he would kill her if he needed to.

He kept his focus on his target, the boy was sitting there in the dugout for the competitors, ignoring everyone else and holding his head every so often and talking to himself. The other competitors seemed to be keeping their distance from him.

Naruto chalked this up as just another eccentricity people had. Everyone else seemed to be staying away from him however, so maybe there was something more.

Eventually the match happening in the arena came to an end, and there was some applause.

From what he had seen, the dark haired boy might be someone he could get along with. Possibly. He was a thinker and had won without using a big flashy move. He used shadows. Naruto made a mental note to try and obtain some of those jutsu. They could be useful for him.

The next two genin walked out to fight. Naruto realised one of them was Baka. The boy looked nervous, shifting his weight from foot to foot as he waited to begin.

His opponent was a Hyuuga, and Naruto briefly looked around the arena to see if any more were watching. He saw a stern faced man next to a girl he recognised as Hinata.

He swiftly shut off his own Byakugan when Hinata looked close to his direction.

When he turned it back on again when the fight started, the girl was looking at him. She looked scared. But she raised a hand and waved slightly at him before looking back to the fight, clearly concerned with the outcome.

The fact she wasn't nudging the man next to her and pointing was probably a good sign. In fact, her response was illogical in every way to him.

He dismissed the thought and focused on his mission, checking back on Gaara, nothing was really happening with him.

Baka wasn't doing very well. The strikes of the Hyuuga boy were keeping him on the defensive, chakra charged fingers knocking kunai strikes aside with ease. Then a gasp ran around the assembled crowd as he heard Baka yell something loudly.

The boy's body was beginning to glow with an odd aura, a pale golden glow that seemed to clothe him loosely. It was difficult to describe with the naked eye.

With the benefit of the Byakugan however, Naruto could see clearly what was happening. The chakra around him was forming the basic outline of a figure around him, a loose ghost-like entity. He could have sworn it had wings. The figure glowed a weak gold, and whilst it had his shape, it was more powerful than his frame. It was eerily familiar though.

As baka moved, so did the being around him, striking forwards with a glowing fist. The Hyuuga boy saw it and dodged the entity and swept out a leg at Baka's feet.

Baka leapt and his hand and the figures behind him struck downwards.

They met the dome of spinning chakra the Hyuuga generated hard and Naruto found the spray of chakra it generated to be almost as mesmerising as the chakra charged sand.

It ended with both boys panting before the Hyuuga rose and moved to strike again.

He turned his gaze back to Gaara as the proctor ended the fight . Now he would get to see his target in action.

And on cue, Kakashi reappeared with Sasuke.

Naruto actually found his pulse rising slightly as Sasuke stood opposite his target. Although he always planned for the worst, which was that Sasuke died almost immediately when his target went all out, he found himself wondering if he would be needed. The premise of a possible need for action at any moment felt electric through his veins.

The fight was exactly the kind of fight he wouldn't have fought. Sasuke was being quick but obvious, almost as if he wanted his opponent to know he was good. He wasn't fighting effectively, but it was oddly working.

Both fighters were holding back. But why would you do that Naruto reckoned. If you had an opportunity to kill your opponent, or take them down if not kill, then you took it.

A tendril of sand put an end to the early jousting, tossing Sasuke away from his stationary opponent. Then he watched as Sasuke gathered lightning chakra around his hand from some distance back.

He could have sworn he heard someone in the crowd state that it was a powerful assassination jutsu. He almost physically retched at the idea. That thing was not an assassination jutsu. It was a killing jutsu, but not an assassination jutsu. Try to assassinate someone with that and you attracted the attention of guards. It was too slow, it was too bright and it was too loud.

He looked back at his target, ignoring the glow of the chakra from the show-off Uchiha. He had encased himself fully in his sand, rendering himself completely out of sight to Naruto.

He readied the bow, slotting a bolt with an explosive tag wrapped around it tightly into the slide. It had taken a couple of months in the Root training halls to perfect the attachment method, but he had done it eventually. He'd never actually had to use it before, his kills being markedly less showy than explosions.

Still, this time it might be necessary. If all else failed he just wouldn't activate the tag.

Sasuke charged, down the wall and straight at the ball.

Spikes extended from it, nearly impaling the Uchiha, who stopped with his face mere millimetres from the end of a spike.

His hand had punctured the dome and he staggered, gagging at the smell. His hand was clamped by sand that focused on him.

Naruto focused only on the opening dome of chakra. His target was holding his shoulder and looking at his own blood-soaked hand. The sand was moving slowly for Sasuke, his arm held in place, unable to escape. Gaara was focused only on him. He could feel the bloodlust pouring off him.

He saw the signs of a genjutsu falling into the arena like feathers. The attack was beginning.

He fired.

The sand moved on its own to try and stop to speeding bolt, but in its hardened state, with its wielder shocked by the pain, it broke before the speeding metal bolt, fractured into two chunks. The hardened steel bolt kept going.

The bolt rammed home into the boys neck, shattering the weakened armour. He screamed in agony but he wasn't dead. Jinchuuriki did not go down that easily.

No chances. The tag detonated.

The chakra laced explosion obscured Naruto's vision enough for him to get moving to a different spot for sniping, using the 360 degree vision to see what was happening.

Sasuke was staring in shock and ninja were running everywhere. Of all sides. The smoke had cleared enough for Naruto to see that his target was dead. Not many people got up without heads in his experience. The tag had done its work and dramatically widened the puncture from the bolt.

Mission done, he decided to see how many other unsuspecting enemies he could help to kill during the battle. After all, he was a shinobi and his village was under attack.

He felt his pulse rise again and controlled his breathing to keep his aim steady as he rolled into the next cover position. In the dark of the room, he aimed and fired at an enemy in a Suna flak jacket who had his back turned.

One.

The next kill came a few minutes later, another careless foe in dark clothing who was trying to strip a corpse when he thought he wasn't visible.

Two.

He lay on the roof and watched constantly for targets. And behind him. Being able to see behind and in front of you at the same time really helped when you were a sniper.

He saw a small group of Suna shinobi running down the street, and moved to the roof. He leapt over the street, and fired a bolt directly beneath him. It thudded into the street at their feet and he detonated the explosive tag attached to it.

Five, the sixth one was merely badly hurt. He turned and finished the man with a bolt to the heart.

Six.

He rolled on the roof into cover. He realised that last move had been a little too showy for his taste. He realised that felt good. Very good. He wanted to shout some battle-cry about his actions.

He once again stopped in the roof shadows to control his heartbeat. He had to think clearly.

This was a situation unlike any he'd found himself in before. The heat of battle, enemies everywhere, and no specific target. Just enemies to kill.

He peered out from his cover to see what was happening below. Leaf shinobi were beginning to re-gather and were sweeping the attackers back.

He needed to get higher. The Hokage Tower loomed in the distance. A perfect vantage spot.

He moved from roof to roof. There was some fighting up here as well.

Whilst a normal army was limited to the streets, with occasional parties with bows heading to the rooftops, a shinobi could walk up walls. They weren't much of an obstacle.

Some of the more creative foes, and similarly minded Leaf-nin had taken their battles to the rooftops as well. Freed from the confines of walls and the majority of other people, they were able to use just about every destructive thing in their arsenal.

Naruto ducked under a fire jutsu which had missed its intended target as he took the most direct route possible to the tower.

He glanced back at the stadium, seeing the great purple barrier atop a nearby building. That must be where the Hokage fought.

Still, he couldn't help there. He heard a yell, and ducked a kunai.

A Suna ninja with a cloth wrapped over his head charged at him, a wickedly curved katana in hand. The man leapt into a powerful thrust, which Naruto glanced aside with his own blade.

He rolled under as the man's momentum took him forwards, dropping the tanto blade and making hand seals. He activated his technique as the man landed.

The man turned as the genjutsu took effect. His face twitched as the horrifying vision filled his mind. He quickly dispelled the illusion and ducked on instinct.

The kunai clipped his hair as it went passed. He moved forwards again at Naruto.

The blades clashed again. He had learned not to give Naruto time, and pressed his advantage.

Strength and experience won out, and the katana hit home, digging into Naruto's shoulder with the crack of a collar bone fracturing from the impact and the squelch of flesh.

The tanto fell from his hands, and the explosive tag in his other hand exploded.

Naruto kept moving as the clone's memories reached him. His shoulder ached with sympathetic pain caused by the clones memories, and he winced as it faded.

It was something he'd learned quickly about the shadow clone jutsu. Provided you had good control of it, the clone could be surprisingly durable. They could bleed, they could stall, and they could take more than a few knocks before holding the body intact was too much.

But the clones transferred memories. This was normally fine if you were training or could cancel the clone in time to avoid its death pain.

But if you forced one to hold on, or rather instructed the clone to hold on to a reasonable lever...the pain came back with it. It had been part of his training. He could do some exercises in the Root halls, whilst his clone was sent to the specialists in another room.

A couple of hours later, when he had completed the exercise, he would go to a meditation room. They'd then finish up the clone, and Naruto would have the memories. All of them.

It had been the hardest part of his training. It had taken three years for him not to scream when the memories came back.

He'd managed it in the end. He could repress the memories.

Then he felt that he was being hunted again. Someone must have spotted him, he searched the area with his Byakugan and saw the chakra building in the fan before it became a speeding gale of razor sharp wind.

He threw himself from the cover as the wind jutsu tore into the roof. He jumped back through the hole to avoid the second one.

He felt glad that the house had been evacuated when the tournament started. This was likely to get messy.

He used what little time he had to draw any blinds that weren't drawn before moving downstairs as his assailant landed down through the hole he had come in by.

"Come here and die you bastard!"

The female voice rang through the house. He would certainly not be coming out to die. He slid into a cupboard under the stairs.

"You killed him. I know it was you. I saw you fire the bow. You didn't have to kill him."

There was the sound of furniture smashing and a wall collapsing upstairs. They were definitely angry. He could see the outline of a person and the wind chakra coursing through the fan they held. It was the girl from the fight in the arena he had barely watched.

At least he knew how to fight her. She'd made a mistake following him into the house.

They were playing by his rules now. In the open, he would have died or been forced to flee.

She finished demolishing the upstairs and he heard the slow careful footsteps on the stairs above him. He primed the next shot and waited until the footfall was above him.

The bolt tore through the wood and carpet of the stairs and he heard the thunk of impact. He rolled out of the cupboard and dove into another room as he heard the yell of pain.

His brain strained to work out what he was seeing with his eyes looking in different directions. The Byakugan was looking behind him, focused on his target. His normal one was focused on the world ahead of him. His bolt, fired through the stairs had deviated enough to hit the girl in the shoulder. She had just pulled the bolt out.

He heard the smash of the fan hitting the stairs to reveal his former hiding spot.

Naruto worked on his options as he shut the blinds in the room he was in, trying to create as much darkness as he could. He realised the staircase was in the centre of the house, the other rooms forming a ring around it.

Perfect.

He watched his target get to the bottom of the stairs, holding her shoulder in pain.

"You killed my brother. You killed him like a coward!"

If coward meant he was intelligent, then he was a coward. Still, not time to think about that.

He shifted into another room and shut the blinds there. He picked up a book from a shelf and threw it into the room he had come from.

He moved round into the next room as the gust of wind slammed into the room and tore it apart. He found himself in a kitchen. His target was staying put, struggling to hold the heavy metal fan properly with only one good arm.

She moved into the destroyed area to find no trace.

He only needed to hear the roar of frustration and the sound of her slamming the fan into something in the house.

He picked up a chopstick from a counter and tossed it through the staircase hallway into a room he hadn't been in.

The girl moved quickly to the area to find nothing there.

"Come out! Come out and fight me!"

The voice was different, it was panicked, and it was higher pitched. He tossed another stick onto the stairs. It was working, and his target was afraid.

He didn't know fear himself, but he'd seen it. He shuddered at the memories, but he knew its effects.

She ran out and began to move upstairs. She turned half-way up, realising her mistake.

Naruto fired the bow at her heart.

The fan came up open to try and stop the projectile, but she didn't quite raise it in time. It ricocheted off the open edge into her good shoulder.

She cried out in agony as she dropped the fan and tried to pull the bolt out, but both arms were badly injured. The heavy fan crashed down the stairs, splintering wood as it went.

He wasn't wasting time, and leapt over its fall with the tanto to finish his work.

She saw him and screamed. He tried to block the noise out as he leapt forwards, blade outstretched to slam into her chest. The scream turned to a gurgle as blood trickled from her mouth.

"You...killed...Gaara. Bas...tard."

He twisted the blade and she was silent. He pulled it out and cleaned it on her clothes. He realised he was trembling.

He tried to get back to the rooftops but collapsed at the top of the stairs. He dragged himself into an undamaged room. His limbs were shaking violently, and felt less like his than someone elses.

He slumped into the corner and tried to throw up his shadow genjutsu. All he ended up throwing up was his stomach contents. There wasn't much of it. He barely noticed the smell that splashed over his cloak that he wrapped even more tightly around himself.

He focused, and his trembling hands just about formed the hand seals. His corner became darker, hiding in the destroyed house, a hidden chakra pulse in the midst of a battleground.

He knew he should be getting up and continuing to fight. At least he did somewhere deep inside in. Right now he knew he just had to stay quiet and repress. Repress. Repress.

He pulled his cloak over him still further and visually becoming nothing. Then he tried to forget the scream. Her face was back. The face, the face of the maid. Her face.

He blacked out and dreamed of a face contorted into a scream in splashing blood red vision. The face of a ghost.


	17. Breathe

He awoke with a start, gasping like he had been submerged in icy water and had only just broken the surface. He took several gulping shallow breaths before calming himself.

He realised he was not in the house he'd fought in any longer. His cloak and equipment were missing. His underclothes were the same, and only now did the smell reach him. Sweat and vomit. Well, he'd smelt worse. One of the kills had required going in through a sewer main for a little bit.

The room, which now came into focus for his regular eye, was familiar. It was dark, but familiar.

He ran his hand over the walls. Smooth cement walls under his finger tips. He didn't bother to activate his Byakugan. It was already giving him a headache through overuse. He winced as he saw a little more light.

He rose gently and traced a finger around the walls, his feet falling into an easy rhythm as he measured the room.

Seven paces each way, and a smooth door with an inner lock.

This was his Root cell. Someone must have brought him in. His cell. An offhand check of the blueprints in what seemed like another time had found it to be number 526, level 3, meditation designation cell. Utterly regular, utterly uniform. A cell like the other Root operative home cells.

He still knew the corridors of this place.

He pushed the door open gently and looked up and down the dark corridor. A couple of figures were walking along behind their masks in the standard Root uniform. He didn't recognise them, but that was nothing new. They didn't try to talk to him, he didn't talk to them.

He walked the slightly odd route to where he thought the answers would lie. He knocked on the door and it was opened by one of the few Root shinobi he actually knew.

Torune was one of Danzo's specialists. A really killer, and a thinker as well. As close to a second in command as he had alongside Fu.

"Ah, welcome back Naruto."

He knelt before the figure seated in the dark behind the desk.

"Lord."

Danzo beckoned for him to stand, he did so. Torune had faded into the background of the room with the speed expected of a Root shinobi. Pragmatism was everything. If you held no part in a conversation you were quiet and you listened. The information would be potentially useful.

"The Hokage was killed by Orochimaru, but managed to seal his arms. His instructions to me, were he to die, was that you would be judged by the new Hokage, and they would decide what to do with you.

Unfortunately, the next Hokage has not yet been appointed, and is unlikely to be appointed for at least another month or two.

If you desire, I would happily send you on a couple of missions that need to be undertaken at this time. Or you can choose to spend the time training."

"Hai."

"Your equipment is currently being held in the armoury. I can also recommend you get cleaned up, do not fall to illness. That would be a poor way to die."

"Hai."

"Come back if you want to. You are the finest killer in the Root. You are always needed here, do not waste away if the new Hokage is weak."

He left, walking the twisting corridors to the armoury. He pushed open the door and observed the Root armoury once again.

Racks of kunai. Crates of shuriken. Wax wrapped exploding tags. Tanto blades sheathed in an oil bath that gurgled gently. The room was frankly an alter to death and killing. Gleaming metal kept ready for issue

Naruto walked past the standard equipment and moved towards the more specialist areas.

Longer blades, staves, retractable halberd blades. Long-swords in matte-black scabbards. Maces. He saw a longbow with its flat quiver, hanging from a wall. He wondered how life would have changed if it had been that weapon he had taken up. Such a weapon was beautiful, yet he missed his crossbow.

He moved through further to the workman's shop. He didn't know the man's name, but this was Root. And the man knew what stuff everyone needed. He had made the crossbow in the first place.

He knocked on the door, feeling the heat from the forge within. He felt himself start to sweat, but didn't care, reassured his body was taking steps to remain healthy.

The man, turned. Most of his face was obscured by a mask, and his hands were encased in thick, soot charred gloves. He lifted the mask to look at Naruto.

"Crate 12 in the storage room. Then report for sign-out."

He moved into the storage room and lifted crate twelve down from its shelf, opening it with care.

On top was a new body glove, and Naruto changed into it with some satisfaction. He looked at the one he had been wearing.

It was torn in several places, no doubt from shrapnel sent by wind jutsu from the girl, and a slash from the Suna nin's katana. He checked his chest where one large slash was and realised he had a flesh would across a small part of his stomach. The adrenaline had masked the pain.

He discarded the old glove and continued to check the box.

Then he drew the sheathed tanto out of the box. He checked the blade. It had been reground and re-polished, and an even sharper edge had been put on the blade. It was perfect. He slung it over his back, crossing it with a bandolier of crossbow bolts.

There were a couple of pouches with the usual equipment. Smoke bombs, tags, wire, all the tools he would need. There was the scroll with his poison kit as well. That was useful.

He then picked up his crossbow reverentially and weighed it carefully in his hands. He held it gently, caressing the stock with a lovers care, feeling every inch of his weapon. It was his. This bow had brought him nearly every kill, every moment of waiting. His companion. His.

He checked the mechanisms. The arms had been replaced, old metal replaced with new, painted matte-black. The string was fresh, the slide for the bolts well greased, the loading notch still there.

It had been masterfully repaired, back to full function, but without the user's own quirks being totally removed. Even Root nin had some personal things, brought about by the immutable fact human's all worked slightly differently when it came to physical movement. The kinematics of the bow were his and his alone.

He checked the loading mechanism again. That had changed. There was a thin wire running from the trigger grip to the slide. He place the crossbow gently back down to one side.

He pulled the cloak out of the box. It had been cleaned and repaired. He draped it over his shoulders and pulled it around his chest, doing up the clasp around his neck. He pulled the hood back up over his head and felt complete again. He slipped the crossbow over his back and waited a few seconds as he regained his balance for the equipment. It barely took any time, this was more natural to him than being naked. He was ready.

He moved back into the smithy. The man was waiting.

"Crossbow please."

He passed it to the man like a mother handing someone their child.

"I've modified the bow. The original still used a draw handle to pull back the string. That meant you had to drag it back between shots. Even for someone of your proficiency, that meant your fire rate was limited to twenty or so shots per minute.

I've installed an electromagnet in the load mechanism. When you pull the trigger, the magnet deactivates, allowing the string to snap forwards to fire the bolt. When the trigger is at idle, the magnet draws the slide and the string back instantly. Your fire rate now depends on how fast you can feed bolts to the mechanism.

I'd have attached the auto feeder, but it's bulky and not suited for your missions.

When you learn elemental manipulation, the wire controlling the electromagnet will also allow you to feed chakra into your bolts as soon as you learn how."

He passed the bow back to Naruto and indicated a target.

"The sights are aligned. Thirty seconds continuous firing please."

Naruto's hand took a bolt from the bandolier, pulling it round so the next bolt was ready to be drawn. He swiftly had it into the fire mechanism and he pulled the trigger, hand already moving for the next bolt.

The next thirty seconds were a blur, the sound of repeated thunks and the bolts slammed into the target. The bullseye became too full to hold any more bolts and he merely aimed to fill the next circle outwards.

Naruto ceased firing.

"Twenty seven shots in thirty seconds, as you can see, efficiency has increased by a good margin. The shots are also slightly more powerful."

Instruction done, the man went back to work, leaving Naruto alone again.

For some reason this made him re-evaluate for a brief moment. Anko-chan or Baka would have said something more here. Talon would have tried to make a joke, the former Hokage would have said something too.

It was less efficient, the goodbye statement rarely being anything of value, but there was something about it. Something he enjoyed.

He left, restocking his ammunition as he went. He walked the corridors, and left the hidden base.

* * *

A half hour later, he was home. Again. One of his homes. He wasn't entirely sure which home was home and which home was not home.

He was about to enter through the window when he noticed it was slightly more open than usual. He activated the Byakugan, ignoring the spike of pain that slammed home from the overuse.

Someone was inside. He recognised the signature. He drew the tanto blade.

He went in through the window, rolled, and came up with the blade at the man's knee.

"Careful Naruto, you could hurt someone with that."

"Kakashi-san. Why are you in my apartment?"

"I needed to thank you."

"Why?"

Kakashi scratched the back of his head.

"Can we sit down? This is a bit awkward for me."

Naruto nodded, then realised that the gesture was lost under the hood. He pulled it back and repeated the gesture.

Kakashi sunk onto a chair, Naruto sat on the battered sofa. The way it softly gave way to him was enjoyable. It had been so long since he'd sat on something comfortable.

"You know, I kinda wish I was just training you as opposed to my current team."

"Why?"

"You're good. You get the idea about being a shinobi. I know what I would need to teach you because you know things already. Hell, given you had a run with Talon, I know I could make you better than I am."

"Thank you for the compliment Kakashi-san."

"Meh, it's true. You appreciate that much. But in the arena two days ago, you saved Sasuke's life."

"I did."

"You killed the biggest threat in the arena. We know what Gaara was, and you killed him quickly. You did given everyone quite a shock when he exploded like he did, but you killed him. Imagine if you hadn't then."

Naruto had already before the fight.

He'd foreseen Gaara fleeing with his team, the boy running away from the person who had injured him. Then he realised that Sasuke would pursue. Then that his team would as well.

He doubted any of them would survive an encounter with him, or that he would find a good opportunity until he could poison him in Suna or get a fortuitous shot.

Of course, that assumed his target hadn't gone nova in the stadium.

The permutations of any event other than the opportunistic kill he had gained in the stadium were. Worse. Definitely worse.

"The situation would have been far worse for Konoha."

"Yep. You most likely saved my team."

"They are fellow shinobi, it was my duty and my mission. The feeling of the kill feels hollow, like you and Hokage-sama talked about."

Kakashi nodded. He was never going to say it, but having to kill one of the only people in the world even remotely like him probably had to hurt.

"You wonder if you were like him don't you?"

"A little. He was a junchuuriki, and he didn't like talking to people. I don't hate it, but I can live without it. He had to. He wasn't sleeping and killed my clone without missing a beat. We are similar. I can tell he was made to be a weapon. To kill. I am a weapon. Killing is my purpose. But I have things he doesn't. I have more choice. My demon is locked away, and his felt so raw and close to the surface. I caught a small glimpse through my eye. I saw...the seal. Leaking. Raw chakra, brown and dirty ripping through his body. He must have been in constant pain. He was so like me."

Kakashi was stunned. Naruto was pouring out the insights in a flood, his voice slightly breaking from the monotone. He realised Naruto was shaking slightly as he spoke.

"He could have been better. He is what I could have been and also what I am but what I am not. And I killed him. I completed my mission, and yet it feels like I lost. I had to kill his sister, who hunted me during the battle. I killed her as she screamed for mercy because protecting Konoha is my goal. I killed her as she screamed."

Kakashi caught the boy as he fell forwards onto his knees. He felt the brief splat of a tear onto his shoulder from the boy's visible eye.

"Do you want anyone here Naruto?"

"Anko-chan."

Normally he would have told anyone who requested Anko at this time of night that they were out of their mind, but Naruto was already close to that description.

He summoned and dispatched Pakkun without delay.

Naruto just sat hunched, tears running from his visible eye. His covered eye was dry, and he held a hand over it, but making no other noise.

"It hurts doesn't it?"

"What?"

"Not being able to cry from your Byakugan. I have the same problem. It comes from the traumatic loss of an eye."

"So your loss was traumatic?"

"Very, I took a blow that would have killed my best friend."

"Is that how you face got scarred as well?"

"You're going to have to do better than that."

"That's not a no. The question still stands."

"You do realise that only two people know the reason. One of them is long dead, the other nobody would ever dare ask."

"So you don't cry from your Sharingan either?"

"No. It hurts though. You feel like it should be crying but it isn't?"

"Yes."

There was a whoosh as Anko rolled through the window.

"So this is Darkie-kun's place, not bad. Not bad at all. Never thought he'd be so bold as to invite you as well Kaka-oh."

She realised he was crying and her body language changed immediately.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. I shouldn't feel like this but it does. I had to kill her. I had to kill her."

"Kill who?"

"Her. Her face, I remember her face. Don't make me remember I don't want to remember."

"Whose face?"

"Hers!"

"Who else did you kill during the attack Naruto?"

"After Gaara, some idiot attackers. Then another man using a clone with an explosive tag. Then a girl. I think she was Gaara's sister."

His voice became shallow and hoarse. Hollow, as if he were speaking about some nightmare beyond his touch.

"She saw me kill him. She saw. She saw. She followed and I drew her into my battleground. She was angry. So angry. She was blind, I could see. I tried to make it clean but she wouldn't die cleanly. She screamed. I had to... I had to...I had to."

Anko held him as the boy let loose some of the tears he had never been able to shed. He definitely needed help.

* * *

_Author's Note_

_This is how far I had written up to when I published the first chapter of Ghost, and it's probably worth sharing a couple of thoughts and things that are going on._

_Firstly, sorry for another slightly angsty chapter, but events have consequences. He'll be up and assassinating fools again soon enough._

_Secondly, thanks for the cheer number of reviews in the last chapter. I'm frankly astonished that I'm hitting the right notes with you guys, and the reviews mean a lot!_

_Another thing to note is how people have interpreted 'becoming more human' for Naruto. I won't go into details of all the reactions I've had, but I will say that Naruto is not suddenly going to transform to canon. It's going to be a slow and as subtle as I can make it, hopefully it won't jar from one state to another._

_Finally, my life has taken an interesting twist and I'm basically having to make big choices about my future right now. It's nothing for anyone to worry about (don't review about this bit) but it may affect the amount I'm able to write. Currently I have another 45k words written (about 13-14 chapters worth) which is in the process of being spell checked and revised. I'll try to keep up with my writing, and if worst comes to worst I'll have to slow down the update rate. Shouldn't need to worry about this now._

_Hope everyone continues to enjoy the story as it hits the end of what I mentally consider part one. _


	18. Back in the Open

He let the chill air waft through his hair for a brief moment before pulling the cloak a little tighter around himself, and the loose hood back over his head.

The warmth of summer was fading, and the Village Hidden in the Leaves was fading from green into the reds and oranges of fading leaves.

A mere two weeks ago, he had taken orders from the Hokage, and been content to do so. He had been in control.

But now.

He was in control. He was. He stopped his brief pause to survey the fading leaves and kept moving.

He didn't remember much after Anko had arrived. Actually, that was a lie. He remembered all of it; it was his training to remember all of it.

He realised that he didn't want to remember. Deep and quiet parts of his brain replayed his Lord's comments to him about sealing away unwanted memories. He could. He probably shouldn't.

He really shouldn't.

He wouldn't. Even as his fingers twitched, want to form the hand signs he had been shown and throw the memories into the pit of the seal on his chest, he couldn't. A wave of nausea swept through him and he stopped.

It was illogical, but he would not use the seal. He would not.

He hadn't received any missions, and he hadn't received any word from his old master. So he'd taken the initiative. It turned out there were limits to his patience after all.

Not to say he'd been idle. He'd felt the need for more lessons with Anko, even though he wasn't sure why. His knowledge of poisons felt greater than ever before. He even had a new weapon to play with.

He still wasn't sure about it, as it required him to be a lot closer than he liked to a target. But it was the epitome of his art. Stealthy, quiet, deadly and compact.

Much like himself.

He regathered his thoughts onto the unofficial mission he was doing. He was trailing one of the genin teams he had followed before. He'd chosen the team with the Hyuuga, because they had come closest to finding him.

He also felt nagged by the way the girl had waved at him when she had seen him. Her reaction was wrong, it was stupid, it was...intriguing. He wanted to know why.

Still, the chances of having any kind of interaction were slim. This was a patrol on the border with Suna, which had become unstable after their defeat.

Bankrupt, leaderless, and with a great asset squandered and soon to re-emerge in the desert as a great threat, the desert land was in turmoil. There were rumours of a push to take some of the border lands back, but they were whispered lightly. Konoha had taken its fair share of casualties as well. It too was leaderless.

He looked on towards the teams at a good distance through his Byakugan. There were two teams. Apparently the team he had chosen to follow had met up with another team that was already doing a sweep.

With a slightly thrilled feeling of dread, he realised that one of that team was a Hyuuga. Double the trouble. This one might not be so merciful.

He felt reassured that he had worked on extending the range of his eye. He wasn't entirely sure of the mechanics of it all, but what was somewhat clear was that the eye didn't remain in stasis whilst implanted. It became part of the body itself. It seemed to enhance if he trained it enough.

At that moment, he was at his maximum range. What was better this time was that he had come more prepared.

His time reading the chemistry textbook has allowed him to create a chakra-laced compound to keep him scentless. It was an odd mix of chemistry and chakra, but when he cast the right genjutsu, the chemical would keep him scentless.

All he had to do was hold it in place like you would a henge, and he could hold a henge for hours if not days.

Thus he could keep observing a team with two Hyuuga's, an Aburame and an Inuzuka without being instantly discovered. Even so, he occasionally rubbed the headband he had on him. It was the only thing that would keep him alive if discovered the wrong way.

* * *

Hinata stared out towards the border with Suna with her eyes active. She focused the vision into a thin tunnel before her to extend the vision. Narrowing the vision kept the strain to a minimum when at high distance.

She scanned the dead scrublands near the border, and her eyes fell upon the stream where she had seen her first real action occur.

Her concentration was broken as Kiba walked straight in front of her cone of vision. The sudden close up of chakra this created was unexpected and she as good as slammed her vision off as she was treated to a close-up vision of Kiba's pale bluish brown chakra.

She staggered slightly and Shino put out an arm to gently stop her falling off a branch.

"Kiba-san. Be more careful in front of Hinata, you know sudden chakra signals can startle her."

"Oh. Sorry Hinata-chan."

"D...don't worry Kiba-kun. I was nearly finished. I didn't see anyone in the area in front of us."

"I don't smell anyone, let's go."

They were about to when Shino held up a hand.

"There is someone near the border."

"How?"

"One of my bugs has died; my hive has smelt the blood and distress."

"A bird?"

"Possible. I do not believe so."

Hinata activated her eyes again and began to extend her vision. As the length extended the degrees she could see properly decreased, but then she caught something.

It was him. Him.

She lost focus for a second and gasped.

"Hinata-chan? What is it?"

"Ano, just forgot to breathe Kiba-kun."

She did her best to ignore the figure sitting about five hundred metres behind her and looked forwards. She tuned out the faint glow of the plant and animal life in the scrublands as she looked towards the desert. There were figures. A dozen. Two dozen."

"Suni shinobi. They're coming."

"We must call for Kurenai-sensei and retreat for backup."

The kunai hit the tree by his feet. Maybe a little too late for any urgent calling then.

Shino and Hinata leapt on instinct as the explosive tag detonated beneath their feet. Hinata retracted her vision to encompass twenty metres in all directions. No sense in looking straight forwards now. Kiba had already thrown Akamaru a food pill.

Shino lit the flare and sent it high into the sky. A red burst flared into existence.

The Suna ninja began to flood towards the trio of genin who were gathering together in a defensive formation. The skirmishing force was armed with an array of close combat weaponry. Hinata realised that this was probably why she hadn't seen them in the first sweep. They weren't planning on using jutsu.

Kiba and Akamaru leapt to meet them, forming the distinctive drilling jutsu of his clan. Shino's bugs spread outwards in an all encompassing cloud. Hinata waited patiently for the first of them to reach her.

The man leapt, a curved scimitar coming down in a swift and deadly arc towards her. She slipped under the blow and caught him with a juuken strike to the chest that saw his leap sprawl. She ducked under a swing from a pole arm.

There were far too many of them. The realisation had dawned on her as soon as the fight had begun.

She wove around another jab from the pole arm, the long hooked end of the weapon whipping through the air. Another scimitar sliced a flesh wound into her arm. There was a crunch as Shino smashed another in the face with an arm before insects swarmed the man.

Kiba and Akamaru were still moving, but the enemy ninja were working out his patterns. Where was Kurenai sensei? Where was he?

The pole-arm wielding man fell down with a bolt sticking out of his head and Hinata knew he had arrived.

His companion tried to take advantage of her slight confusion and thrust forwards. He met the spinning dome of chakra Hinata produced on survival instinct as she spun.

Kiba cried out in pain as a blade caught his leg. A Suna shinobi came in to finish him and took a bolt to the chest. The man next to him took another bolt swiftly afterwards.

Hinata finished spinning, and looked out. There he was.

He was in the trees, picking off targets with such speed that she could have sworn the crossbow wasn't being loaded before the next bolt left.

She also saw another shinobi coming straight for her, hands slamming through signs. She leapt to get out of the way of the jutsu just in time as the earth tried to leap after her. The jutsu user took a crossbow bolt to one of his arms, then his torso. The second spun him around so he landed face down.

Shino was moving to try and get Kiba clear, but there were many of them rushing for Kiba. Akamaru was standing guard over his fallen master, his teeth bared and claws ready for a stand before his master.

Suddenly there was another figure amongst them. The black cloak fell from his shoulders as Naruto landed tanto drawn in the middle of the crowd. Two fell as he slashed quickly, the crossbow slung over his back. His sudden appearance had them panicked.

The Suna nin drew back for only a moment. There were still a dozen of them, and only four Konoha shinobi facing them. Then there were 6 Konoha ninja and one less Suna shinobi.

A veritable storm of kunai was falling on the Suna platoon, and although most were able to block or dodge the projectiles, one fell under the hail. The instant it stopped two more figures were in amongst them.

"Dynamic Entry!"

"Kaiten!"

The dome of chakra expanded and bodies bounced away from it. The counter attack was sudden and forceful. Naruto took up his bow once more and took out a pair of tumbling figures. He then realised the Suna party was falling back.

He took out two more fleeing figures before something heavy impacted his chest.

The man had been moving so fast he had barely seen him. And he wasn't from Konoha.

He hit the ground and skidded, rolling to try and get to his feet. He heard another heavy impact as someone hit somebody else very hard. He reactivated his Byakugan to see one of the newcomers going backwards fast.

The Suna Jonin, it could only be given the visible reserves, was gunning for him.

"Only Konoha scum would shoot a fleeing enemy."

He moved faster than any foe Naruto had encountered before. He dropped his bow and countered the sword movement just in time to avoid his head being removed.

Bugs enveloped the man as Shino tried to intervene. Then man sent a hail of earthen bullets in his direction which forced him back before he advanced back on Naruto.

Naruto considered his options quickly. Too late to hit him with a genjutsu. This was a battle of strength and wit, and he would need a lot of the latter if he couldn't win the former.

He threw the tanto at the man who parried it lazily. That was a mistake. The blowgun was in Naruto's hand within moments, and the dart flew towards the man. The black dart didn't get noticed until too late, the man's blade following through on the exaggerated parry.

It stayed in his arm for only a couple of seconds before it was knocked out by the sword. The man came forwards again with vigour, his face set in a snarl. Naruto rolled out of the way of the strike. He had to last a little longer until backup came or the poison worked.

The man changed direction quickly and Naruto's backup kunai was torn from his grasp as he attempted to block another swing. The man moved to strike again faster than Naruto could block.

Hinata's attack caught him in the side with a series of strikes. The first four hit cleanly, then the man twisted with the blows and hit her with the flat of the sword. He was panting, his side bent a little.

Naruto leapt across the battleground and grabbed up his bow and fired off a snap-shot.

The man took it in the shoulder but kept moving forwards.

"Dynamic Entry! Konoha Whirlwind!"

Before Naruto could blink, his opponent was flying backwards, jaw broken by the leg of a man in a green jumpsuit. He realised it was the same one that had interrupted earlier.

His new ally landed just before the Suna Jonin landed and lay very still. His blood was a little congealed.

The man stood, Naruto caught a hint of incredible strength before he deactivated his Byakugan to save energy. He realised his was shaking from the adrenaline in his system. He shook himself gently and approached the man.

"Thank-you, your arrival was required for victory in that battle."

"You are welcome," the man bowed extravagantly before striking a pose with his arm outstretched. "Konoha's Mighty Green Beast Maito Gai! Who are you?"

"Naruto."

"Ah. Kakashi has mentioned your paradoxical youthfulness. Truly I will find out on this mission! But first, we must attend to our comrades."

The other genin were just about still going. Shino was exhausted, Hinata shaken and bruised, Gai's Hyuuga genin was a little knocked about. A second came out of the bushes, wiping blood off several weapons.

Kiba was in bad shape. His dog was snivelling around his wound and making worried sniffs.

Naruto checked the wound. There was a smell of something. He gestured without looking.

"Hinata, could you retrieve my bag from the tree 50 yards in that direction."

The Hyuuga genin bristled and strode forwards.

"Who are you to command us around?"

"Do it or he will die from the poison in his wound. I have the antidote in my bag."

The genin turned to look for Hinata, only to see she was returning with the slim black bag in her hands.

"Here."

She placed the bag next to him. Naruto reached into the correct pocket quickly and drew out the chemistry scroll. He unsealed the correct poison and began to prepare the antidote.

The minutes passed with only slight, nervous chat between the genin. He tried to block it out. He was concentrating.

He injected the prepared liquid into Kiba's arm as Kurenai landed.

"Kurenai-san."

"You?"

She knelt beside Kiba and surveyed his wounds quickly. Naruto drew the needle away from the arm.

"Poisoned. I've administered an antidote."

"Well at least you've saved one life today."

The tone was cold. Very cold. Even Naruto could tell this was not a friendly gesture.

"Kurenai-san! Naruto's youthfulness in battle has assisted our mighty teams on this day! You should not belittle him so quickly!"

The woman sighed and softened slightly.

"You are right Gai, apologies Naruto."

Her eyes carried every message except that of apology. Apparently she still considered the downside of him nearly killing Hinata greater than his upsides today. Naruto wondered briefly how best to quantify social qualities.

"K...Kurenai sensei. Naruto-san help our team fight off the initial wave, and was instrumental in stalling their Jonin leader until Gai-sensei arrived."

"Indeed. Naruto-san's appearance was timely and effective, I surmise this is the second time he has assisted our team in such a fashion."

Kurenai stared at Naruto for a few seconds before her expression softened a little. She turned to Gai.

"Do you think it likely that Suna will attack again?"

The man suddenly became serious.

"No. This was a test attack, a scout party that got a little too eager, nothing more. The composition and tactics used dictate it not being a full scale assault. Given their casualties, I don't think they will be returning."

"Good. We should make camp and tend to our wounds and deal with the remaining enemy ninja."

"A youthful plan. What of Naruto? What team are you with?"

"I'm a one man cell."

"How youthful! Well, as a team leader Kurenai-san and I will need to discuss our next actions with you."

He nodded. The Jonin went about dictating some tasks to the more able genin about setting up a camp area for them to use near the border. Naruto began to re-gather his equipment, and salvaging any bolts from injured shinobi, silencing them if they still lived. Better that then leaving them in agony.

He slipped the cloak around his shoulders and slung his bow over his back as he finished. He felt like he was being watched.

It was the final member of Gai's team, a girl dressed in pink. He mentally shuddered at its lack of camouflage properties. She was staring at the bow intently and took a moment to realise Naruto was looking at her.

She rubbed the back of her head whilst looking away from him. Naruto realised that it was a gesture of embarrassment. He made a mental note of it for future interactions.

"It was...Naruto right?"

"Yes."

She extended a hand.

"Tenten. Weapons specialist."

He took the hand after a moment's hesitation, weighing up the grip strength and posture. She seemed competent enough; after all, she'd been wiping blood of several weapons.

"Can I see your bow? It looks interesting."

"You can already see it. It's on my back."

She rolled her eyes.

"I swear if you're a total pedant like Neji I will impale something. I meant pick it up, weigh it, examine it, feel it, touch it, get to know it a little."

"Oh. It hasn't got much personality, it's a crossbow."

He lifted the bow off his back and passed it to her. The enthusiastic way in which she took the bow interested Naruto. Was she someone who was somewhat like him?

Her fingers ran over every surface and she closely examined his bow.

"Oh wow. The mechanism! Oh the mechanism! Is that chakra conducting wire? It is! It is! Oooh this thing is awesome. The stock, wood, machined I think. No. Crafted, planed using a fine file to exactly fit something. This doesn't just have personality it has soul."

She jumped up and nearly rammed it into his shoulder.

"Perfect fit! Wow. This must have taken ages! The draw wire has a bit of dirt in a mechanism though."

A cloth was in her hands from somewhere as she polished the offending part vigorously. Naruto stared. She was completely and totally appraising his weapon in moments in a skilled manner. Was she the competent shinobi type he'd expected?

"Oooh, the magnetic loading system. Wow. Why would you go to such lengths to make one of these things when jutsu can do more? Such a beautiful thing though, I really just...wow."

She stared at him with wide, excited eyes that he found boring into his own.

"Can I fire her? I mean it. Well no. It's a her, definitely a her. I can feel it. What's her name? Is it Matilda? Matilda would be a great name for a crossbow. Still, can I fire Matilda? Can I?"

Naruto wordlessly passed her a couple of bolts from the bandolier on his back. Apparently she was not fully sane after all.

"Right, the gnarl on that tree at three o'clock."

She fired the weapon, the stock biting back into her shoulder from the recoil. The bolt was a couple of centimetres shy of its target. Naruto was still slightly impressed, it took a long time to get good accuracy with his weapon.

"Hmm, are you sure the sights are correct?"

He gently but firmly took the bow from her, snapped a bolt into place and hit the target within a second.

"Fair enough. I love it though. Where did you get it? Can you get me one?"

Ah. This could be tricky to explain.

He quickly restrained the instinct to drop smoke and flee away in the presence of, effectively, being found out. That seemed silly though. He wasn't in any immediate danger.

He did however, need a distraction. Fortunately one quickly appeared in the form of Gai and Kurenai.

"Tenten, could you go and help the others with setting camp? We need to talk to Naruto."

"Hai."

She gave the crossbow another longing glance as she left, leaving Naruto alone with Kurenai and Gai.


	19. Fireside

Kurenai waited till Tenten's movement through the foliage had died away before turning on him with a harsh look.

"Why are you here?"

"I have no mission, so I chose to follow your team on theirs."

"That is highly against protocol and dangerous."

"It seemed like the course of action I may have been given should Hokage-sama still been alive."

"You're lying."

He paused. He was. Time to resist.

"I am telling the truth."

"Gai."

He didn't have a chance to resist before his hands were grabbed by the man. Kurenai flew through the hand signs.

"Illusion Style: Reality of Falsehood!"

The world swam before his eyes and he activated his Byakugan to try and rid himself of the false world that was building around him. He fought the foreign chakra that was trying to lace its way into his system. He tried to pulse his chakra, but with his hands held firmly apart he couldn't generate enough umph.

Eventually, he stopped bothering and deactivated his Byakugan. A world of swirling non-colours surrounded him, and he was sure he was standing on some sort of sand.

He tried not to trust his well honed senses. Then the voice came from all around.

"Why are you really here?"

"I told you, this is what I believed my mission would be."

"Tell me the whole truth."

"That is it."

The world heated, purples grew redder and the sand began to swirl violently around his ankles. He felt the sweat begin to run down his neck from the heat. No. This was all in his mind. It was not real heat or real sand pressuring his legs.

"It is not. I can feel it. This is my world and you will tell me the truth."

Her voice echoed like a thousand roaring oceans in the non-world, distorted and vicious, yet still hers.

"Show me your face."

Kurenai appeared before him, taller and more menacing. She stared down at him from what seemed like miles, red eyes burning him with their gaze. When she spoke, the sound boomed over the world with the force of a hurricane. He struggled against his own senses.

"Tell me your truth. What more do you seek from this team? Why my team? Have you not done enough to hurt Hinata?"

"I wish to apologise to her."

The world of the genjutsu ended abruptly, and he fell to his knees and panted when the man's hold was released.

"It is as well you should."

Kurenai's voice was still quiet, but it was more placid.

"Kurenai-san, was it truly necessary to use a genjutsu on him to get that out of him? He is a comrade who has helped our youthful teams."

Naruto held up a hand as he rose.

"I understand Kurenai-sensei's actions and agree that they were reasonable."

The man gawped before striking the pose he had before.

"Excellent! Such resilience to survive her prowess and remain youthful! Truly an example to our genin. Lee would be inspired."

Naruto looked at Kurenai as he ranted, and she smiled and shook her head. Did this mean that any bad feelings had been smoothed out?

"Regardless Gai, I think we should now talk as equals and team leaders on this mission, even if Naruto is not officially a part of it. What is our plan?"

The man switched back to serious in the blink of an eye. Naruto didn't quite understand. Was he bipolar, switching at random between two personalities? Or was he merely eccentric like the rest.

"We hold here in case the attack was merely a testing assault. Their losses were severe, so I expect that they will not return until the next patrol takes over responsibility."

Kurenai nodded.

"What about our two teams? Should we keep them separate? What of Hinata and Neji? After the chunin exams I do not wish for Neji to damage her further with words or physically."

"A true concern. Keeping our teams in their current formations may work better. What are your thoughts on this Naruto?"

He didn't have any. Interplay between people was still a mystery to him.

"I would assume your judgements are superior to mine in this matter."

The man nodded.

"Good. Let's keep rotation of sentry duties until the next patrol sweep arrives in a week."

Kurenai nodded.

"Naruto. I respect your skills, but I do not like you as yet. I expect you to make amends with Hinata. I also expect you to eat, sleep and work with both teams during this mission like the rest of us."

"I intend to. If I may be honest?"

They both nodded.

"My interpersonal skills are poor. I have not had much chance to work with others my age, so I apologise for any offence I cause."

Kurenai nodded, but her expression was firm. Gai was confused.

"Who are you?"

"Ask Kakashi."

"Ah, my eternal rival! He did not say much of you, but I shall learn more! When I return I shall challenge him for the knowledge! I shall..."

A vision from Kurenai swam in front of him. It was a genjutsu, and it was only one thing. A sign. A basic wooden sign.

_'Run whilst he's ranting about challenging Kakashi whilst you still can. I'll grant you this small mercy.'_

He broke the genjutsu and fled quietly and thankfully towards the camp. He could feel a sunset forming behind him, and he wasn't sure that was possible.

* * *

The fire crackled as night began to break. The genin around the camp began to get down to the meticulous tasks required after such a battle.

Kiba lay peacefully, his breathing steady. The anti-venom had worked, and he would soon recover. Hinata was by his side, daubing cream onto some of the small cuts on his body. Shino sat on his own, quietly in meditation.

Gai's team was off keeping watch, and the site was quiet.

Naruto realised he had to breathe deeply as he decided now was a good time to talk to Hinata. He realised he was slightly nervous.

He walked over and crouched next to her, observing the careful way she applied the cream to even the smallest cuts on Kiba's arms.

He breathed deeply to calm himself again and caught the scent of the cream.

"Lavender and Aloe extracts?"

She looked around sharply, and he realised she hadn't heard him arrive. Then again, he never wanted anyone to notice his arrival. The sudden conflict was confusing.

"Oh, A...ano Naruto-san, I didn't see you arrive."

There was silence for a moment.

"Sorry."

He realised he had blurted the word. He suddenly felt his cheeks burning under his hood. He'd never experienced this nervousness before. He wasn't going to die, he wasn't in any danger whatsoever, so why was he shaking a little?

"It's ok."

His fugue was broken by those simple words.

"Oh."

There was more silence as Hinata turned back to her work on Kiba. When she finished, she screwed the lid back onto the tin of cream and placed it back into her backpack.

"So, Naruto-san, who are you?"

He realised that a lot of people asked him that question. He also realised that eventually he'd need a new answer.

"I'm...a ghost I guess. I don't know how to describe myself."

"That sounds lonely."

Her voice sounded quieter somehow.

"It isn't. Well it is. A bit. Sometimes, but I don't mind. I like being alone sometimes."

He mentally chided himself for the sloppy, contradictory answer.

"So who are your friends?"

"Anko-chan and Baka-san I think. I'm...not sure what makes a friend. It is hard to define."

The girl nodded.

"A friend is someone who's there when you need them the most."

"Oh."

Hinata looked at him with her pale, lavender eyes. What was he? He would have killed her had he been given the chance, and yet now he seemed so out of place.

"Can...can...can I um...see your Byakugan?"

Naruto looked at her, and briefly activated it to see that no one was watching. He also got a long glimpse of Hinata's chakra flow. It was pale and gentle, almost seeming to withdraw from his sight when seen. He wondered if someone's chakra was a good indicator as to what kind of person they were. Her flow was pleasant to watch.

No-one was watching them. He pulled back his hood, then softly moved the strip of fabric that hid the Byakugan aside.

Hinata stared into his eyes, the azure blue and pupilless Byakugan sitting oddly either side of his nose. The eye was familiar somehow, but then most Byakugan looked the same. She looked at the area around the eye with her own Byakugan sight, and saw the damage.

"Your eye socket is damaged. The nerves and chakra around it are strained. You must feel pain whenever it is used!"

She reached to touch the side of his head near the replaced eye. He rapidly pulled the strip of cloth back and threw his hood up, turning the side away from her outstretched hand. She realised that he didn't want to acknowledge it.

"I cope. The loss was...painful, but I am glad. The Byakugan is a wonderful thing. Your chakra is...gentle."

She checked his. It was dark, and restrained. She realised that something on him was blocking it, yoking it and keeping it in check.

"Yours is pained. You must...be..."

She lost the words to say but she knew what she felt. He had to be in constant pain. He knew he was sometimes lonely, he felt physical pain constantly. What was he that life had treated him so badly.

Naruto shrugged.

"I cope."

There was silence again. Naruto thought rapidly to come up with something to talk about.

"So, your healing cream. How did you create it? It is impressive."

Hinata flushed slightly and pushed her fingers together.

"I like flowers and...I...I learned their properties and so thought it might work. Would...would you like some?"

"I would appreciate it, it could prove useful on missions."

She reached into her pack and rummaged for a fresh tin. She withdrew it and opened it to check it.

He caught a sniff of the cream, and found the smell to be pleasant. He then realised he hadn't washed since the fight. He shrugged off the cloak and checked himself.

There was a gash along a portion of his arm, the wound caked in dried blood. He'd suffered injuries like it before in training; he would heal in a couple of hours without assistance.

Hinata took some of the cream and rubbed it onto the wound instinctively. He felt a slight tinge as the paste sat on the exposed wound, before it began to feel less painful.

Then they realised what she was doing, and the contact of her hands on his arm.

Hinata drew back quickly and turned away, her face turning slightly pink. He drew back more slowly.

After a moment, she offered him the tin, still looking away.

"Thank you Hinata-san."

He took the proffered tin and stowed it in one of his many pockets. The silence was awkward.

"I don't hate you."

The words came softly from the mouth of the Hyuuga heiress. Turned away from him, he couldn't see her expression.

"Why?"

"I should. You bring nothing but death and violence to the world. You would have killed me. You nearly killed someone close to me. You have the eye of my clan."

She turned to look him in the eye, her face set in an expression he'd never seen before. It was angry and sorrowful, determined and resigned. He realised that it summed up so many of the emotions he was struggling to understand. He tried to fill his memory with the face.

"And yet, I can't hate you. There is good within you somewhere. You saved Kiba; you saved people when you killed Gaara in the stadium, even if killing him was probably wrong. You...I don't know. You scare me."

Naruto didn't know what to do. Their gaze locked, blue eye meeting the pale, pupilless eyes in a gaze that lasted for what seemed like some time.

The fire crackled, and Naruto couldn't tear his eyes away from Hinata's. It was the longest he had ever looked at one person, and he had to remember this moment. Something deep within called him to remember.

The face, full of emotion. Every emotion. He found himself seeing a face that wasn't a single emotion but was every emotion. All of them. And yet at the centre of it all this quiet girl. Her face. Her eyes.

There was a cough from off to one side, and Hinata jumped a little. Naruto merely turned to face the noise quickly. He felt a pang of annoyance that he hadn't noticed them coming, lost in the moment.

"Please leave my weak cousin alone, she is not worth your time."

Naruto looked at the other Hyuuga. He recalled the name, Neji. His face was the opposite of Hinata's. There was negativity written all over his face.

"Why is she not?"

"She is weak. She lost to me in the exams. I beat her to within an inch of her life before our sensei stopped me."

Naruto heard a soft sound from Hinata. He realised she was crying.

"Neji-san, I believe your words are causing Hinata-san distress, please desist."

"No. Then I beat the one she idolises in front of all of Konoha."

That clicked.

"Oh. I saw your match."

The boy smiled, well frowned less.

"Any thoughts?"

"Like most of your peers, you are far too flashy and dependant on close up assaults. If I wanted to kill you, I could. I didn't pay it much attention until Baka's jutsu. It was pretty to watch, if too showy."

The boy leapt across the camp ground at him and took a blow to the chest for his trouble. This surprised Naruto, as he hadn't moved.

Shino stood between Neji and himself, arm outstretched.

"Neji, this is not a logical course of action. Naruto-san merely gave his assessment."

Neji stood back.

"Ha. He talks to the weak side of my family, he judges my performance like I am nothing and claims he can kill me. I am the prodigy of my clan! I am the betrayed one who will crush all before me."

His voice echoed around the trees as the standoff became tense. There was silence.

Then there wasn't as the soft noise Hinata was making grew a little. A cold snivelling. Naruto realised she was crying.

Unbidden, the memories of the night in his apartment came back in a rush. He remembered what had happened in the end, and how people had acted with him.

He knelt down next to her, and wrapped his arms around her.

"It's ok, it's ok."

He felt his shoulder become a little damp as the tears fell into it. He felt her arms wrap around him and hold tight, like there was nothing else in the world. He knew it would happen because he had done the same. He understood someone else.

He didn't look, he didn't dare, activating the Byakugan in front of Neji might well be suicide, but he heard the boys scoff.

"Ha. Look at her cry. Destiny is destiny, and she will always be weak. Now I have to pass the guard onto Kurenai-sensei."

He moved off, deliberately loud.

Shino knelt next to Naruto and Hinata, and placed a hand on Hinata's back. The sad noises had dulled to nothing. Naruto checked on her, and saw her eyes had closed into a quiet sleep.

"It appears Hinata-san has fallen asleep Naruto-san."

"It has Shino-san. I appreciate your intervention earlier."

"It was the logical option. You interest me Naruto-san."

Naruto moved his cloak around Hinata's shoulders and sat with his legs crossed by the fire. Shino joined him.

"How do I interest you?"

"We are similar, and yet different. From the skills you have demonstrated, you are a lone wolf, killing at range and at your choosing. You are however very much a lone wolf. You do not actively seek others, and you did not choose to reveal your presence until you needed to. You avoid detection, and when you throw off your hiding place, you strike quickly."

"Those are differences Shino-san. Your clan specialises in Hive tactics, using your bugs as a coherent swarm to achieve success. You act with a team, and although you hide you care deeply for your teammates. This is likely due to your clan and mannerisms."

"Indeed. Yet we are similar. We both hide our faces and prefer the clear air of the outside. It also seems logical that you prefer the dark, as you shift your body so that you don't get as much light on your face as you can. You also think in a logical manner, in fact more logically than I."

"Howso?"

"When I consider something, I too consider the wide variety of options in a fight. From my observations of you, you act as I do, so in the skirmish we took part in, I moved into a further support role once you had committed to protect Kiba. You performed the action I planned to take just before I did. I was slower than you because I feared that committing myself to the situation would be dangerous, or that I might misjudge and hurt Kiba-san."

"So you say I do not consider the danger of a situation?"

"I'm saying that you do not act upon normal human concerns, like fear."

"I trust you are not going to share this conversation with everyone?"

"Of course not, you are an ally, and it would be foolish to share this conversation for no reason."

"Thank you. I don't act upon normal human concerns because I am not normal. My upbringing was sheltered."

"It is a logical statement, even if it makes me uneasy of you Naruto-san."

"I don't fully grasp emotion, or social interaction. In truth I find a kinship with you in that you share some similar concerns."

"How did you know?"

"Because we are similar. Yet different."

"Indeed. I was raised as a normal child. The academy is a place where we develop our ideas and our methods of talking to others our age. Yet you seem to have missed that step. You are like a child when it comes to interaction, yet matured in everything else."

"Eloquently put."

"You do show some signs of learning though. I take it you have had some time to develop such ideas?"

"I have. I made a few friends, each of whom has taught me something."

"Such as hugging? I will admit I am not entirely keen on such close human contact. Or that others are usually that keen on having such contact with me. Bugs are something of a negative in my age range."

"I do not know why I hugged Hinata-san, only that it is what others did for me when I was in a similar situation."

He found Shino's face, hidden behind glasses and collar very hard to read. In a few ways he didn't mind.

"Logical. You have applied your knowledge of the situation, as far as you know it, in the way it was before. All of your decisions are logical, but without normal human concern. You are aware that she is an heiress, and that she is very shy. Such actions towards her are rare at best."

"I was not. But she is a friend. I think. She fits all of the criteria I have for friendship thus far, and yet I do not know how I would confirm this."

Shino nodded.

"I would ask her, given that that is your approach. Do you consider us to be friends Naruto-san?"

"I would. You fit all the criteria. We have something in common, I have held a conversation with you, and you appear to not want to kill me."

"Those are the criteria?"

"Yes."

Shino paused to consider.

"I believe there is more than that. I'm not really sure friendship is something that you can make into an equation that can be solved. Similar with emotions."

"Oh."

There was brief silence as the fire crackled. Shino idly added some more wood to the fire.

"As much as I enjoy such philosophical discussion, it would be illogical not to get enough sleep. As such I bid you good night."

"And to yourself."

Shino rose and went off to sleep. Naruto sat in meditation by the fire, occasionally feeding it to keep it going.

He stared into the flames and watched them dance. He knew he should have been sleeping; Shino was right about not being rested enough. Then again, he'd only been awake for 16 hours, nowhere near his limit of operational function. He could afford another 30 hours at least before sleep.

No. The flames were more interesting. They flickered and moved, creating a symphony of dancing shadows. He wondered if he could hide in them, but looked across at Hinata's sleeping form. The face was purely at peace now.

He stared into the fire.

* * *

_A/N Just a quick one to say that if you get an account on FF, I can reply to your reviews. I really want to reply to all my reviewers outside of the story text, so if any guest reviewers want a reply please get an account!_


	20. Borderline

The next day he found himself once again alone. Well, mostly alone at least. He did have a communications headset that was linked to Gai and Kurenai, but they weren't good conversation.

One he was sure didn't want to talk to him, and he was sure that the other would use the word youth far too often for his liking.

Spread along the border, it had been arranged that three Byakugan eyes spread along the borderlines would be effective in terms of spotting any additional enemy movement. Naruto and Neji had been put on opposite ends of the two lines just for good measure.

He felt happier knowing he couldn't see either of the Hyuuga in the teams either side of him. He suspected his eye has less vision than either of theirs anyway.

He looked out towards the desert. Technically, they were in Suna's land, but then again they were practically at war. The skirmish in Konoha territory had made sure of that.

Then he saw movement, a flicker of chakra. There was a party of people heading slowly, trudging towards the border. He activated his communications link.

"Kurenai-san, Gai-san, there are figures approaching my position."

The was the soft crackle of static for a second.

"How many?"

"Unsure, they are at the edge of my vision. I would say half a dozen, moving slowly."

Gai's voice cut in.

"That doesn't sound like an invasion party. We're moving to your location."

"Likewise. Deactivate your eye as soon as possible."

He shut the link and shut off his eye. It was good to rest it; he could feel the fringes of a headache coming on. He moved forwards to where the tree-line was thinner to try and get visual contact with his regular eye. He found a useful tree and lay on the branch, propping the bow up in front of him. The stock slid automatically against his shoulder and his finger eased onto the trigger.

It was annoying being more blind than usual, but he knew nothing else was around. He kept watch and soon figures came into view, hazy in the heat. The dark shapes wobbled in the haze as they became more distinct. He watched as more outlines came into view. They were holding something.

It was a flag.

The pale red cloth hung in the desert breeze. He opened his communication link again.

"They carry a red flag, and weapons are not drawn."

"Hmm, they must know we're here. Fall back to the border stream. Let us present in strength, mine and Gai's team will go out in person, Naruto keep us covered. Try not to open fire until you're completely sure."

"Hai."

He moved back towards the stream quickly, taking up a different vantage point to the one he had some months previous. He couldn't help but feel some uneasy about the situation. After all, last time had led to his intervention and a fight.

He watched the genin teams form up behind their sensei, and waited for the Suna contingents' arrival at the ford.

He found the mental itch to activate his Byakugan was very strong. He didn't like not knowing what his teammates were thinking; he didn't like not knowing the consequences. He didn't like not being totally in control.

But he liked it as well. He found the adrenaline rush addictive, like he needed situations like this. He'd only felt them briefly in the dark, upon mastering a new technique, or getting a kill. This was different.

This was raw. He realised that he'd felt it before, and that every time he did he wanted more and more.

He could wait though. He could master the urges and control himself. He had to.

The Suna delegation appeared on the far side, walking slowly and calmly. Naruto began assessing the targets as fast he could.

Three were carrying weapons, one carried the flag, and another had a bandaged package on his back. He vaguely recognised that one, the warpaint was familiar from the Chunin exams. He was staring at the Konoha ninja with barely hidden anger. Naruto recalled he was a puppeteer.

The last member was unremarkable, but all the members of the team except the puppeteer wore flak jacket, that was the sign of more advanced rank.

He weighed up the possible prowess of each team based on rank. They were likely outmatched in terms of raw power, but then again he knew that the genin in his team were certainly competent.

The Suna shinobi planted the flag in the stream, and addressed the Konoha contingent. It was a parley, and the flag was in the technical no-man's land, but it was definitely more tense than a negotiation. Naruto thought he heard something about retrieval of the fallen.

That seemed at odds with their body language as well.

Kurenai, who had taken negotiation duties for the contingent, seemed to notice as well. The final member stepped forwards. Naruto then saw his arm-band, which carried a red cross on it. So he was a medic. That was an interesting gesture.

On the face of it he was their passport, their sign of peaceful, healing intent. But Naruto analysed the situation still further.

If they had come to recover the injured, they would have needed to come sooner. Any prisoners would have been executed or taken to Konoha by now anyway. Why bring one now, nearly a day later?

Next, why only one? They had to know there could be far more casualties than he alone could deal with. It made no sense.

He checked the Konoha delegation. They seemed fixated on the display. He took a chance.

He activated his Byakugan, briefly, focussed on Neji. His eyes weren't active. Hinata's weren't either, but he didn't feel worried about her.

It wasn't a matter of strength, even if Neji was likely more of a threat than he was. No. It was a matter of hostility. He had few doubts that Neji could attack him if he discovered the truth.

He scanned the chakra of the Suna delegates. They were all fairly strong. He felt more uneasy.

He deactivated his Byakugan just to be sure and continued to view the exchange.

The Suna nin had his arms opened wide by his side, a non-threatening gesture. They weren't near his weapons, they weren't about to form jutsu. They drew attention to him and away from his team. Their hands were placed a lot closer to their equipment.

Naruto brought his crossbow up to aim at the back member of their party. To hell with the consequences, he needed to be ready and he needed to know what was going on. If he was spotted by Neji, he would deal with it later.

His Byakugan fired up, and he could read the lips of the Suna leader more closely.

"This is an unexpected breach of etiquette Kurenai-san, not allow us to retrieve the bodies of our fallen is against the treaties of the five nations."

"I will allow it when you abandon your weaponry on your side of the border, and explain the attack on our soil that occurred yesterday."

"The attack, as I said already, was unauthorised. A jonin with a grudge on a power trip with several genin teams who didn't know better. I hope you understand this was the action of a single man, not the will of our nation."

"I don't care. It is an infringement on the shattered remnants of our alliance. Leave your weapons here, and we will allow your medic and one other of you across to check on the dead, then you can leave. "

"That is unacceptable."

"Tough."

The tension over the stream began to rise again. Kurenai found herself suffering deja vu, the last confrontation at the stream rising to her mind.

"May I have a moment to discuss this with my team?"

"Of course. Any sign of violent intent will be acted upon with appropriate force."

The Suna jonin withdrew and began discussions with his team. With his back turned, Naruto could not see the conversation. He saw Neji's eyes flare into life and he shut his own off. He should have been quick enough. He looked at the teams from his hiding place, and saw Neji was focused on the team on the other bank.

He glanced off to one side and saw the gleam of a sword in the bushes beside the Konoha team. He reactivated the Byakugan, feeling the spike of pain blossom in his head from its overuse, and saw them.

They had two teams. The second was smaller, and was coming round to flank the Konoha contingent. He cursed himself for not spotting them sooner, getting caught up in the big event in the centre.

He judged the three figures, and waited for the build-up of chakra that might signify a jutsu. He saw it.

He fired. The chakra build-up stopped as the bolt cut through his chest. There was a cry of pain.

Then all hell broke loose.

The Suna team in the open charged, the flanking team charged, and Naruto began firing.

A second member of the flanking team fell just as he reached the Konoha team. Numbers were even.

The Konoha genin drew back, forming into their teams as their sensei moved to fight. Gai leapt into the fray, engaging two of the Suna shinobi at once in a whirlwind of taijutsu. Kurenai was engaged by the Suna medic, senbon being used heavily by her opponent. That left nearly half a dozen Suna nin for Naruto and the genin.

Shino made a bee-line for the puppeteer, shouting something about wanting a match at last. Bugs swarmed towards the puppeteer as he unleashed his puppets.

The three Suna chunin attacked together, driving for Hinata and the still injured Kiba. Gai's team intercepted, Neji drove forwards, intent on challenging two of them at once. Tenten began to rain weaponry towards the third.

Hinata's eyes blazed into life, and she spun to dodge the blade of the final member of the flanking team.

Kiba tried to move forwards, but faltered. His body had clearly not recovered and his opponents knew it.

Naruto thought fast and realised he needed to engage once again. But this time he would be more careful.

The jonin-sensei could certainly handle themselves in this fight. They were moving their opponents away from their genin, or being moved away. Both scenarios made sense. The Suna enemy wanted the jonin away from the genin so they were less protected, and the jonin wished to employ their most powerful techniques without risk.

Naruto dropped from his hiding spot and moved along the same path the ambush squad had come in on. He heard a swish as Hinata dodged another swing from the curved blade. He slipped his tanto into his hands.

He came out behind the man, and Hinata saw him. To her credit, she didn't hesitate, and he realised that she had seen him coming long off with her Byakugan. She dodged another swing, moving under the blow. Naruto lunged at the man's unprotected back.

The man turned and turned his blow aside with a deft flick, and Naruto kept hold of his blade, spinning with the momentum. The man moved to strike him before freezing.

Hinata launched a series of rapid strikes into the man's back, and he collapsed. Naruto made to finish him, but felt Hinata's hand on his arm. His blade was a centimetre away from puncturing the man's neck.

He looked at her in confusion. He was an enemy, why not finish him. Hinata moved his arm away gently, shaking her head.

He withdrew his blade and moved with Hinata to attack the shinobi currently trying to engage Tenten. Her rain of steel had lessened slightly, as her opponent, a kunouchi with black hair, had been able to survive the onslaught.

A wind jutsu tore the branch she was jumping towards apart, and Tenten was forced to bounce awkwardly off the tree instead.

The kunouchi leapt down to engage her at last, only to meet a crossbow bolt coming the other way. She turned away from it, but still took a grazing blow to the side which ripped open the flak jacket and spun her.

She landed awkwardly and deflected several shuriken of Tenten's just in time to avoid a spiky death. She launched forwards with a battle-cry, but stumbled, her ankle twisting from the rapid motions.

Tenten smiled and a staff was in her hands. They charged.

Naruto let the girls take the lead, they were arguably more dangerous up close, and he was better at taking opportunities. Tenten went in high, Hinata low. To her credit, even wounded the kunouchi was still a dangerous opponent.

She ducked under the staff sweep, pivoting on her undamaged leg, before blocking Hinata's first strike with her forearm. Tenten leapt over her opponent and swung downwards, which she blocked with her other hand, grabbing the staff and pulling to put Tenten off balance. She lashed out with her damaged leg to get force Hinata back.

Naruto circled as his teammates attacked again. Tenten jabbed forwards, causing the kunouchi to spin, Hinata came in, drawing the attention.

As her attack was blocked, Naruto came in from behind and impaled upwards.

The woman coughed blood and was silent. Naruto withdrew his blade and kept moving. He realised Hinata and Tenten were still looking at the body.

"Come on!"

They snapped out and moved.

"Kaiten!"

Neji spun, keeping the two Suna nin at bay. He was holding his own, but he could feel the fatigue creeping up on him. He had to finish this sooner rather than later.

_'Then I can see if Hinata's destiny of failure has caught up with her.'_

He back flipped to avoid an attack from one of the nin, then felt another wind jutsu slice the air near him. That was too close.

He kicked out, knocking the taijutsu use away. Then he moved towards the one who was firing jutsu. He sidestepped a kunai that he man threw, and then struck.

"Eight Trigrams: Sixty Four Palms!"

The man crumpled under the assault, falling to the ground in pain. Neji turned just in time to see Hinata deflect the flat of a blade with an outstretched hand, before a crossbow bolt ripped through his head.

He stared at Hinata, Byakugan active. Then he saw Naruto.

"You have a Byakugan!"

Naruto looked him in the eye with both of his.

"Now is not the time. The jonin are still engaged and..."

Naruto ducked on instinct as the chakra charged palm sailed inches from where his face had been. His worst fear had been realised. He was in the open, being attacked a close range by a taijutsu specialist who knew his moves.

Well most of them, but a lot of those weren't usable in this situation.

He rolled away, reaching for his blowgun. It was too late to load a dart with a mere tranquilising poison, but he could undo the poison damage quickly.

The backhand uppercut caught him squarely and sent him flying a couple of feet. He could barely hear the screams from Hinata and Tenten for Neji to stop.

He rolled, the blowgun coming round and he snapped off a dart in Neji's direction.

"Kaiten!"

_'What a waste of chakra in that kind of defence for that small an attack.'_

Not that that mattered, he was rapidly running out of options. He realised he wasn't being attacked and heard a sickening crunch. Neji had struck Hinata with a blow that had sent her reeling, blood streaming from her mouth.

Tenten was holding a kunai in each hand, getting between them, but he knew she didn't want to use them.

"Neji your fight is with me!"

The words escaped his mouth before he knew he'd said them. He chided himself for slipping into such an adrenaline fuelled act. He drew the tanto blade out again and held it in front of him in a guard stance. He suddenly felt like the world was watching only him. He was loving it.

Neji spat at the ground in front of him.

"Please, like my weak cousin, your destiny is to fail. You can't fight me. You're too slow. You're out of your element and are destined to lose. Whose eye is it I will be retrieving for my clan?"

Neji didn't bother giving him time to answer before charging. Unfortunately, he was right. Naruto held his ground as Neji came in fast and low, and swerved out of the way of the first chakra charged fingers. He could see the chakra building in each strike of the Hyuuga Gentle Fist style. He'd never had a chance to learn it; the risk of it being recognised was too much of a risk for an operative like himself.

He moved the flat of the blade to catch some of the strikes, trying to avoid hurting Neji. He just had to hold out until someone came and stopped the boy.

Then a palm caught the side of his head and he felt his normal eye lose vision and stumbled, the strike made the Byakugan headache that much worse. His Byakugan vision swam a little in front of him.

He heard the buzzing behind him and fell swiftly to the ground as an insect cloud swarmed over his head and engulfed Neji.

"Neji-san, desist in your illogical assault or I will drain you unconscious."

The reply was lost in the insect swarm as Neji struggled against the mass before his movement stopped. The bugs withdrew and Neji fell to the ground, blood dripping from some small wounds.

Shino stood over Neji's form and shook his head. Hinata rolled, wiping blood from her mouth as Tenten helped her upright.

Naruto struggled to sit up, he was still blind in his normal eye, and he deactivated the Byakugan before the migraine got any worse.

He heard footsteps, and Tenten's voice gently urging someone to sit down and rest, then a gentle touch on the side of his head. His vision swam gently back into focus and existence.

"Where else did he hit you?"

He ignored the specks of bloodied spit that she accidently sprayed from her cut lip and indicated his side. The gentle touch alleviated the pain he felt there.

"Thank you."

She nodded and passed out. Shino caught her before she hit the ground.

Naruto struggled to his feet and picked up his tanto, walking determinedly towards Neji.

"Naruto-san, what are you doing?"

"The punishment for attacking a fellow shinobi is death Shino-san, you know that much."

He heard the swarm and checked his progress.

"The authority to carry out such a punishment, as deserved as it is, is not yours to mete out at this time. Try and I will stop you."

Tenten also rose.

"He's right Naruto, although if you do try and die doing so, can I have your bow?"

Naruto stopped and walked away from Neji.

"We have a prisoner to secure, he is..."

"Holding fucking dog boy here captive himself, so if you don't mind, drop your weapons before he drops a lot of his blood onto the ground."

Naruto stared at the Suna shinobi whose life Hinata had caused him to spare. He had somehow got up after Hinata's assault, and now held a kunai to Kiba's neck. Akamaru lay some feet away, whimpering gently on his side.

The bow snapped into Naruto's hands in seconds, aimed right between the man's eyes. He had to play this just right.

"That is the opposite of what you're supposed to do. Aren't you Konoha types meant to believe in the Will of Fire and all that crap?"

"I believe my crossbow will kill you."

"Ooooh a wise guy."

The man shifted so he was almost completely covered by Kiba, but in doing so he couldn't see Kiba's face.

"What now wise guy? You can't hit me without hitting him. Now, let's stop being a brave little genin and drop the bow. And the other two of you back off nice and gentle. I think blondie here is going to suffice for this bit."

Naruto kept the bow aimed steadily. He looked steadily at Kiba, who was sweating and pale. But he did give a sign.

His mouth was moving in slow deliberate ways. The message was surprising, but it gave Naruto an option.

_'Do it.'_

"This is going to hurt you. What is your name Suna-san?"

The man chuckled. Kiba mouthed again.

"I am known in Suna as the Guy-Who-Gets-What-He-Wants. And right now I'm not. So drop the bow!"

_'Do it, try not to kill me.'_

"Are you really sure?"

"Yes. Drop the bow or watch him die."

_'Yes.'_

Kiba closed his eyes and Naruto fired. He heard the cry from Shino and Tenten of shock, and the cries of pain from Kiba and the man as the bolt went through Kiba's shoulder and into the man's chest behind him. The man staggered back, his hold on Kiba loosening as he stumbled back and into view. As Kiba fell forward the man took another bolt to the face for good measure.

Naruto had run forwards to Kiba before the man had stopped twitching.

"You ok?"

"This is slightly better than being poisoned. Only slightly."

Tenten ran in beside them and began to form hand signs.

"I know some basic jutsu good for cuts, but nothing on this scale. You reckless idiot!"

Kiba gave a weak chuckle.

"Me or the guy who I asked to shoot me?"

"Both of you! Idiots!"

There was the sound of more running feet behind them and Kurenai landed on the other side of Kiba. She looked Naruto dead in the eye.

"What in the hell happened here?"

Naruto did his best not to sigh. The headache was enough as it was.

"Allow me to explain Kurenai-san."


	21. Confrontation

The teams sat at camp in uncomfortable silence.

Everyone once again was tending to their injuries. Shino was probably the best off, his fight against his opponent going well and his victory coming at a low price.

The jonin sensei were sore, but they were fine. Mentally, they were more than a little shocked.

Tenten was shaken up, and Naruto was still bruised from his encounter with Neji, who was sitting very much alone with his back turned.

Judgement on him would have to wait until they returned to Konoha. Until then, with a badly injured Kiba in the team, he would still need to be part of the team.

Hinata was...quiet. She couldn't look at Neji or Naruto without flinching. The bruise on her face where Neji had struck her was large, and there was a cut next to it.

Naruto felt sore, but otherwise fine.

The dark mood surrounded the camp like a dark cloud, and Naruto busied himself checking his weapons and sharpening his tanto.

The slick sound of the whetstone on the steel was the only noise apart from the crackle of the fire and the sound of birds in the trees.

Kurenai was busy checking on Kiba's shoulder wound. The boy was sleeping, his breathing deep. Tenten's rudimentary jutsu had helped a little, but the arm was well out of commission. With the effects of the poison, he would be out of action for some time.

Naruto finished with his blade, and wandered over beside him.

"How is he?"

"Fine."

There was a lot of venom in that one word. His explanation had been backed up by Hinata and Tenten, and to an extent Kiba in his injured state, but Kurenai was still curt.

"I apologise for shooting him, but it was the..."

"Shut up."

He did. It was an order from a higher ranking shinobi so he obeyed instantly.

"Shut up and don't explain. You threatened one of my students, then you shot another. What next, are you going to cut of Shino's arm?"

"Only if it were necessary."

The slap stung the bruised part of his face. Everyone stared. Gai had made it over to them in the time it took the others to look.

"Why do you assault our youthful comrade?"

"Why? He's a danger. He's a problem. Every time he has showed up, bad things have happened."

"He helped our teams fight. He might have saved their lives against superior numbers."

"He shot Kiba."

"If he hadn't the man could have killed him."

"Could have. Hadn't. I would have preferred he got away, got to tell Suna what happened."

"He fought youthfully, even if he did shoot Kiba."

"He carries a Byakugan and ripped apart any chance of teamwork by default. Every injury on my genin other than Kiba's poisoning is his fault. He is the root cause."

"No. Neji assaulted a fellow shinobi; this was not Naruto's fault."

"I don't care."

Gai and Kurenai looked at each other as silence reigned.

There was a small sound, stifled almost as it started. Kurenai's face softened as she saw Hinata stand.

"Yes Hinata-chan?"

"N...Naruto-san is not to blame. I am."

"How?"

"I...I made him spare the Suna shinobi's life after I disabled him. That is why he was alive and able to capture Kiba. I s...sh...should also have seen the flanking team that Naruto-san attacked."

"Don't be so hard on yourself Hinata, you helped bring down enemies and fought well. Neji could have seen the team coming as well."

She shot a brief glance at the boy, who was looking exactly the other way.

"If you are that hard on Naruto-san, you have to be that hard on everyone else. O...otherwise it isn't fair."

Kurenai looked deeply at Hinata. The girl seemed to withdraw under the gaze, but was trying to hold out.

"She is right Kurenai-sensei, her conclusion is logical. Naruto-san was welcome help on our missions, and whilst his ocular prowess may be a source of conflict, he did not actively seek it."

Naruto realised he needed to breathe and did so. This situation was unexpected and fascinating. The genin were arguing against their superior's judgement in a way he had never even conceived of.

He found himself viewing a paradox. The sensei's judgement was challenged logically by her teams, and yet she was the sensei, and her orders went.

He kept watching. He had very little idea of what was going on.

"He shot Kiba. He shot your teammate. Does that not bother any of you?"

"N...Naruto is a good person inside. I know it."

"Whilst his actions were unconventional, Naruto saved Kiba's life without risking it unduly. Although there was possibly another solution to the problem, the situation demanded immediate action. Kiba was fully consenting to the action."

Kurenai looked at her two conscious genin with a look of deep, genuine surprise on her face. Seeing their lack of reaction to this, and realising that their reactions were genuine, she re-gathered herself. She turned to Naruto and threw her hands up in the air.

"Well, they accept your actions, and for that I am glad that they are trusting of you. I do not trust you. I do not like you. Never come near my team again whilst I am there. Do I make myself clear?"

"Hai."

There was a moment of silence before Gai leapt into the air with a whoop.

"Yosh! Youthful Naruto-kun has accepted his punishment again with grace, and his youthfulness burns brightly in the face of adversity. Lee will hear of this, and when he recovers, we will redouble our training!"

He stepped forwards and stuck out his thumb, white teeth gleaming brightly even in the firelight.

Tenten made a sound like she was going to throw up and Hinata and Kurenai giggled a bit.

"Oh come now Tenten, you know you enjoy our training!"

"A little I guess."

Kurenai smiled in her direction.

"Wait till you've known him as long as I have Tenten, the craziness grows on you little by little."

The girl looked horrified by the very thought. Neji snorted dismissively from the other side of the campsite.

Naruto did not know what to make of Neji. He could be an issue. He walked across the campsite and sat opposite him. Neji looked straight at him.

"What do you want?"

"You cannot tell anyone about my eye."

"Why not? I will make you relinquish what is our clans' property. It is destiny."

"Destiny? What is destiny?"

"It means you cannot change your fate."

"Fate?"

"You're an idiot. What happens to you in future is going to happen and cannot be changed. I will reclaim my eye, and that is the future."

"You cannot know the future."

"I can see the blindingly obvious. Like your stolen eye. Show it to me without your hood and covering. Show me all your face."

Naruto knew there was no point in doing so. But something made him want to. Some urge. Some urge to rise and attack in without any subtlety.

He flipped the hood down and moved aside the black band that covered his Byakugan. There were a couple of gasps from everyone on the far side of the camp, but no-one was going to intervene in this debate. This was personal.

"This is my eye."

"It will soon not be."

"You realise the consequences of you informing your clan I have this eye?"

"I will rise, and overthrow the weakness of the main branch! I will throw off the yoke of oppression that her father thrust upon mine!"

His finger lanced towards Hinata, who drew back from it almost on instinct even though he was some metres away.

"Tell me more about this yoke. Hinata-san does not seem to oppress you, in fact quite the opposite."

"You would not understand. My fate is to rise above the main house! I will bring glory to the branch house and reclaim what belongs to my family!"

"You will tear Konoha apart at the seams."

Neji stared at him. The words had been so calm Naruto might well have been asking for the time or mentioning the weather.

"Her father is the clan head. This is his jurisdiction. He will demand, quite rightly, to know how a shinobi of Konoha was running around with a Byakugan. He will wonder if there are any other such shinobi running around.

Now, with the old Hokage came the answers, the truth behind me. But with no Hokage? A new Hokage? How will they deal with the situation? They cannot. They have no answers, and Konoha will look inwards. It will tear inwards as one of the most powerful clans starts to question the leadership.

You know what happened to the Uchiha clan. The very same could happen to the Hyuuga. What then? What fate do you see?"

Neji stared at him before lunging forwards. Gai stopped him and had the boy in a loose but effective armbar in seconds.

"Neji, do not attack another shinobi of Konoha again."

"I demand a spar with him. See if he can match up to me without his eye."

Kurenai strode over to the conversation.

"You have no right to ask that Neji."

"I accept, but with a condition."

She stared at Naruto.

"That condition?"

"If I win, he is sworn to silence on the matter."

"I accept. It is my destiny to win!"

Gai released the hold, and Neji got up. He walked calmly over to Naruto, standing some inches taller than him.

"Tomorrow."

He spat on Naruto's chest, and then walked away.

The rest of the night was spent in tense silence. Kurenai had gone to do sentry duty, and Gai was watching over the sleeping genin.

Naruto kept staring into the fire.

"You're mad."

He looked to his left to see Tenten sit down. He'd heard her coming, but he was planning. He looked back into the fire, watching the flames dance.

"You're mad you know that? Neji is the best genin on Konoha at the moment. He'll be a chunin soon enough, and he will push for victory at all costs."

"I know."

"How can you fight him? Your tanto will help, but his fighting style gives him enough clout to stand up to weapon strikes. You won't have time to fire a shot, and you won't win with the blowgun."

"I know."

"Then how are you going to win?"

He looked at the fire again. A log in the centre was about to split, the wood weakening where the fire burned hottest. It began to bend before shattering, sending a pall of sparks into the sky.

He watched them float, imagining the science behind it, the logic and order. He realised there was a part of him that just wanted to watch them dance in the dark.

A kunai imbedded itself in front of him with a thunk as the metal knife stuck quivering in the dirt.

"Answer me."

The voice was closer, quiet, whispering and urgent. He looked again and saw her face again. There was a quaver in her eyes and lips that demand answers.

"You want me to beat your teammate? Tell me, seeing what you've seen of my fighting, do you think I can win without killing him?"

She bit her lip and withdrew.

"Or do you think he'll kill me?"

She looked at the ground.

"I think one of you might die. Maybe, Gai and Kurenai sensei will probably intervene in time to stop it, but even so. Someone is going to end up badly hurt. I don't really want it to be either of you. Given his luck it might be Kiba."

She let out a weak chuckle as he continued to look at the fire.

"How would you beat Neji?"

"I wouldn't. His Kaiten protects from range, he attacks from close range. Some kind of disabling earth jutsu might work. Maybe a high power jutsu. But you don't use them. You can't hide from his sight, and he's better close up."

"So you'd give up?"

"I'd try, but I'd need a new strategy."

"How do spars work? I've never had one this formal."

"How were you trained?"

"Extremely."

"That makes no sense."

"It does."

She shrugged. He was insane after all.

"Well you start off separated by a few metres, then fight till one of you wins I guess. Kurenai-sensei will probably lay down the rules before the fight."

Naruto smiled.

He knew how he was going to win.

* * *

_Sorry for the shorter than normal chapter, but this is where it all divided nicely for me._

_A quick thing to note is something from a few chapters back, I got Naruto's birthday wrong (whoops) so to clarify, his birthday is the Canon birthday and not the one I gave._


	22. Spar

The border patrol for the day had brought up nothing, and Gai was off keeping the perimeter swept alone. It was a risk for sure, but Gai had insisted that he would do it to prove youthfulness!

That left the remaining genin and Kurenai to get the dirty business of the day over with. The spar.

It was all that had been occupying everyone's mind all day. Neji had been extensively planning his victory, and the other Genin were a mixture of worry and anticipation. Except Naruto, who had focused on the mission. He already had his plan.

There was a large enough clearing for the spar close to the camp, and Kurenai led Neji and Naruto into the centre of it.

"The rules are as follows. This is a strictly non-lethal spar. No killing techniques are to be allowed, and excessive violence will not be tolerated. I will call victory or by submission. Am I clear? Non. Lethal."

"Are those all the rules?"

"Yes. Now be-"

Naruto had already gone, running away from Neji at speed and into the cover of the foliage. Neji laughed and shook his head.

"Does he not know you're meant to start a few metres apart, not away from one another? Is he fated to be an idiot as well?"

Kurenai sighed. Was he really that sheltered? He wasn't stupid by any stretch, just seemed to have no idea of the unwritten rules. This was going to be played by her rules and not Naruto's. She didn't necessarily want to see him beaten, Neji was hardly her favourite person, but Naruto unsettled her.

"Naruto, get back out here. You're meant to start 6 paces apart, no weapons drawn unless both of you consent."

Naruto moved back out of the bushes and stood exactly 6 paces away from Neji. He pulled the bow off his back and aimed it at Neji's shoulder unwaveringly.

"I do not consent to weaponry starting drawn."

Naruto put the bow back onto his back, and took up a stance.

"Ready? Begin!"

Neji moved to one side, expecting the first crossbow shot. It didn't come. Naruto just followed his movement and shifted his stance accordingly.

"Not using your main weapon? Are you trying to make it easy? I won't even need my eyes for this."

He moved in, launching a spinning kick as he want. A palmed kunai was in Naruto's hands as he blocked, cutting a small wound into Neji's leg. The boy ignored the pain and came round with a quick jabbing combination.

Naruto caught one of them in the shoulder and went down into a roll, hand reaching for something. Neji moved to one side again, expecting the blowgun to be fired.

There was again no shot, and he went in straight once again. He knocked the kunai from Naruto's hand with the first strike before launching a blow into Naruto's stomach. He was faster and bigger than Naruto, and it was showing.

"You're so slow! You're barely as good as the idiot I beat in the exam finals before his stupid technique. You're fated to lose."

Naruto rose and drew his tanto. If he was going to take it easy, he'd take advantage.

He loped forwards, steps looking off balance and uncontrolled. Neji met him head on, trying to knock Naruto's blade arm. Naruto swept the pommel of the blade into Neji's shoulder, but took a kick to the stomach for his troubles. He rolled back as Neji came in straight.

"Kaiten!"

The thrown tanto bounced across the sand towards the spectators, and Tenten caught it by the handle as it went. It was a weapon and need to be saved. She gave the blade a quick appraisal before going back to the match. It wasn't as interesting as Matilda.

"Is that all you have?"

Naruto went for the bow and Neji was on him in seconds. With Naruto's arms unoccupied, every strike hit.

"Eight Trigrams: Sixty Four Palms."

Naruto felt every single one of the blows and fell backwards, sprawled in pain.

"Call the match Kurenai-sensei, he was fated to lose. He is defeated, no one can withstand such an attack."

"You're right."

Then the Naruto dissolved into smoke.

"What?"

Kurenai simply stared as she realised what jutsu it was. He knew how to make shadow clones. That was interesting. Tenten felt the weight of the tanto disappear from her hands as it too dissolved from existence in a puff of smoke. She felt slightly cheated.

She looked at Hinata and Kiba, both of whom looked as surprised as her.

"What kind of clone is that?"

Kiba grinned at Hinata's query.

"Whatever type it was, I want one of those."

Akamaru give a small whine from his head.

"You're still better than them though."

The dog made a contented noise.

Neji stood in the centre of the ring, looking left and right in annoyance.

"If you want to play hide and seek, you are a fool. I am destined to win such a game."

His Byakugan flared into life and he looked around the clearing to find his opponent. He could see the signatures of Kurenai and the other genin. But other than some wildlife buzz, there was nothing.

"What? Where are you?"

He lengthened his vision, sacrificing angle for distance. Still nothing. Where was he?

"I'm still here Neji."

He spun and his outstretched arm, glowing with chakra for the strike met nothing but air

He checked above and below, and all around once more.

Hinata watched as her cousin span, striking at air. Where was Naruto? She activated her own eyes and tried to look for him herself. There was nothing. He was gone. She looked at Kiba and Shino, both of whom shook their heads.

"I thought you could see everything Neji? Maybe Hinata can see me?"

He spun, and his kick again met nothing but air. He cried in triumph and slammed his hands together.

"Kai!"

The voice in his head stopped echoing. A genjutsu. That was his strategy? A weak genjutsu to make him hallucinate a voice?

"Is that weak genjutsu all you have? Let me hear your voice now?"

His vision suddenly swam and began to distort before his eyes. He pulsed his chakra again to remove the visual genjutsu.

"Still here Neji. You can't see me."

He did so again. The voice stopped.

Hinata looked around the clearing. Naruto had just called out from somewhere around the circle. Where was he though? His voice was distorted by the geometry of the clearing.

She looked at Shino who looked back at her.

"Don't look for him," he whispered, "I suspect this is all part of a strategy."

Tenten nodded. Whatever he was doing, he was getting Neji worried. This wasn't a normal spar, it was too tense and personal. This was a duel. It had been ten minutes and much of that had been Neji striking the air.

Neji stopped checking. If he could hide from his eyes, he had another choice.

He drew an explosive tag and attached it to a kunai before throwing it into the bushes ahead of him. It exploded, throwing burning shrubbery around along with dust. There was no trace of his target however.

Kurenai was going to step forwards when she heard a voice.

_"Let him continue Kurenai-sensei, my apologies for using a genjutsu on you as well."_

She quietly dispelled the illusionary voice. His strategy was risky. She should have stopped Neji from throwing the tags when she realised where his hiding place was likely to be. Neji wouldn't strike there.

Another few tags took out more of the landscape around Neji.

"Running out of places to hide?"

There was a thud close to Neji's feet.

"Kaiten!"

The dome of chakra scattered the smoke from whatever Naruto had thrown. Neji silently cursed himself for thinking the smoke bomb had been an explosive.

"Come out and fight properly! Lee is a better shinobi than you! Tenten is better! My weak cousin is better! You are nothing but a coward who hides in the dark. Even Kiba would be more of a challenge now."

"But in the dark, you can see can't you? How does it feel to be blind?"

His world turned into a world with a lot more shadows in it, and he pulsed his chakra repeatedly. Wherever he was, he was throwing genjutsu at him, and the less risks he took the better.

Kurenai suddenly realised his strategy. He was wearing Neji down with distractions. Neji was expending far more energy and chakra than Naruto, even if the latter had used a shadow clone earlier in the fight. Even more so, Neji was getting very twitchy.

Neji reactivated his eyes to try and find his foe once again. His vision was at a compromise distance, fair distance with only a slight loss of coverage at the back.

He rotated this way and that, covering his own blind spots as he did so. He awaited Naruto's next move. Could he not see that all his attacks were ineffective? Could he not know that defeat was inevitable? His opponent could only be so patient. He just had to wait for the mistake.

He saw a slightest of movement out of the corner of his eye, and deflected the blowgun dart away before moving towards the cover where he knew it had come from. He ripped the bushes apart and took a hit to the face from the pommel of the tanto as Naruto rose upwards out of the cover.

As he stumbled back, Naruto swept for Neji's legs, landing a kick on the cut leg. The wound reopened slightly and Neji acknowledged it with a grunt of pain.

Naruto moved in with the tanto but found it deflected by a chakra charged strike from Neji. Then he was knocked back as Neji rose. He tried to fall back, but Neji grabbed him and threw him back into the ring before following it up with a kick to the stomach.

"Sixty Four Palms!"

The downed Naruto took the full force of the attack and then poofed out of existence. Neji panted and let out a cry of frustration.

"Again? Fight me!"

Neji turned into a handful of dusty dirt being thrown directly into his eyes. He staggered, hands clapped over them. He struck out blind and met nothing. He tried to build up the spin and chakra for another Kaiten but didn't have enough left within himself to do so. Then he felt his legs being whipped out from under him and the press of cold steel to his neck.

"Yield."

"No."

Neji twisted downwards and tried to sweep Naruto's legs from under him. Naruto leapt over the expected attack and waited a couple of moments longer.

Neji turned to face him and took a spray of blackish mist to his eyes. He stumbled over, yelling in pain as he rubbed his eyes.

Naruto tripped him, kicked him right between the legs, twisted his arm behind his back and applied the blade to his neck once again.

"Yield."

"No."

As Kurenai hadn't ended the match, Naruto kicked him between the legs again, then whipped them out from under Neji, slamming him into the dirt again in the process.

"Yield."

Neji too frustrated, too angry, and in too much pain to retort. It didn't help that Naruto was making him eat dirt.

"Naruto you've won, release him!"

He relinquished his holds from Neji, and Tenten ran in quickly with some water. Neji snatched it when he felt it and washed his eyes copiously.

"Dirty cheat!"

"How did I cheat?"

"You hid. You used mist and a low blow. You attacked with nothing but harmless genjutsu and smoke bombs."

"And?"

"Those are not good techniques. They are weak!"

"Enough to defeat and kill you at least three times over."

Neji spat at his feet.

"Take them away and what do you have?"

"Your argument is silly. Take away five of my techniques, and let's take away five of yours. Your taijutsu style, your Byakugan, and what else do you have? Your use of weapons? Maybe an arm?"

Neji stared angrily at him before he backed down.

"I think I just disproved destiny as you have defined it."

Neji kept walking away, towards the camp.

"I will keep my word, but I do not like you. I do not like what you represent."

The other genin rushed over to Naruto as he left. Tenten shook him unexpectedly by the shoulders and he did his best to restrain any kind of action that involved running away and hiding.

"Ok, you are going to explain right now how you did that and every single technique you used. Now!"

He backed off a little, slightly in shock at having someone shout directly into his face. Shino shook his head.

"It would be illogical for him to do so. The only fact I want to know is how you were not spotted by his Byakugan. To suppress your chakra signal so far implies that you did not use your Byakugan or any high chakra techniques."

Shino's statement wasn't an accusation. It was a logical appraisal of Naruto's performance.

"That is the case."

"Then I am impressed. Your strategy was good. Congratulations."

"Thank you Shino-san."

Kurenai nodded at his judgement.

"Go back to camp, I wish to discuss something with Naruto."

"Hai."

The genin departed, leaving Kurenai alone with Naruto. She folded her arms across her chest and sighed, looking away a little.

"You really are a pain you know that?"

"I was unaware I had injured you."

"That's part of it. You take everything so...literally. You don't know a lot of the phrases that we all use in our lives, and you haven't seen so much human interaction. Heaven help you when you discover love. That is going to mess your perception of people up."

"I'll bear that in mind."

She smiled. It was the first time she had done so in his presence.

"Your victory was impressive, if unconventional. I would like to know about the genjutsu you put on me. Is it another one you created yourself?"

"Yes."

"You're lying. That jutsu looks remarkably similar to the techniques used by the Yamanaka clan. You spoke into my head without eye contact or anyone else hearing. You did the same to Neji; you even spoke to him afterwards because he was paranoid."

"Confusion is a weapon."

"Wise. But where did you really learn the technique?"

"It was part of my training."

"Where?"

"I am not allowed to say."

She scowled briefly. She wasn't going to interrogate him, not now.

"What other genjutsu did you use?"

"Just one to flood his vision with shadows. It was obvious to him, and he dismissed it. I merely used it to disguise other genjutsu and force him to waste chakra trying to dismiss ones that weren't there."

"Just like you forced him to waste more chakra and energy deflecting phantom attacks and attacking clones?"

"Yes."

"You got him to exhaust himself physically and mentally, and then beat him with some blows that aren't entirely honourable?"

"I sought to reduce the risk of getting close. As you saw with my clones, he outmatches me in hand to hand combat, even with my weapons."

"How did your clones survive that well? It was my understanding from seeing Kakashi use them that such clones tend not to survive powerful strikes."

"With training, you can force the clone to last as long as a normal body."

There was a slight tremor in his shoulders that she caught. She could read people well and he was nearly a blank. There was something there, and she could see it.

"There's a downside isn't there?"

"All the pain transfers with it."

That had all the signs of a kinjutsu written over it. Such a sacrificial techniques had a disadvantage in the long term, and would never work with multiple opponents.

"What? That's insane."

"It's a price I have paid before and will again."

"How much pain are you in currently."

"Phantom aching at every point he struck."

"But that's...128 points at least."

"Yes. 138 when you consider all the other strikes during the spar."

She stared at him as he barely showed the effects of the pain. What kind of resilience?

"Are you ok?"

"Yes."

"One final question. The mist. It won't do permanent harm will it?"

"No, it was a weak acetic acid solution with some colouring. The acid irritates the eyes enough for him to be distracted. The colouring makes the target believe it is something exotic and deadly. I think the active eye is much more sensitive to pain."

"Oh. You also gave him two low blows. That is discouraged amongst most circles."

"Any advantage must be seized."

That sounded like something he was quoting from a textbook.

"Well. I can't say he didn't deserve it, and I think I must apologise for my words towards you Naruto. You are unconventional, and your appearance tends to get my team injured. But you are a good shinobi, Hinata judges character well. Shino too, and I sense Kiba is grateful towards you. You disturb me because you are truly pragmatic to extents I find scary. I apologise for being so short with you."

"You're taller than me."

"I mean short tempered, quick to judge."

"Oh, I accept the apology. I apologise for any actions of mine that have offended you."

She extended her hand, and, with a moment's hesitation, Naruto took it briefly.

"Let's put the past behind us. Until you have a new mission, feel free to join my team on any mission it goes on. I'd preferred it if you told me beforehand when you did however. "

"I'll keep it in mind."

He made to walk away.

"Oh and Naruto?"

He turned to face her. She was smiling a little.

"Please don't shoot any of my team again?"

"I will endeavour not to."

She walked back to the camp, leaving Naruto to his thoughts. He began to move slowly, keeping an eye on his surroundings at all times like a good ninja. Did this make him and her entire team friends? Probably. Probably.

He watched the leaves dance through the clearing for a few seconds and imagined their paths before walking back to the camp by the trees.


	23. Truth

He re-approached Konoha.

A few days after his spar, a set of relief of teams had arrived at the border, and now the two genin teams were returning to bring word that Suna had tried to attack again.

That was a matter for the new Hokage, once they were appointed. Which might well be soon. In fact it seemed to be right now.

Something loud was happening in Konoha. Something loud and raucous, with cheers and shouting.

He walked clean up and over the wall around Konoha and began to move along the rooftops towards the noise.

And there it was. People. More people than he had ever seen. Or heard. He unconsciously crept further back into the shadows of the rooftop.

He had to see who this person was, and he crept to a rooftop edge. It was like being back at the Daimyo's castle. No one was watching the rooftops, everyone absorbed in the event.

He heard the commotion coming up the street. He recognised some of the people in the street.

a couple of teams of ANBU stood in a loose outer box, Talon at their front, walking stoically behind the mask. They surrounded four people.

He recognised Jiraiya, the hair was a giveaway, and he recognised Baka walking beside him, his expression fixed in a wide smile. The two women who walked in front of them he didn't recognise.

He looked more closely at Baka. He was walking gingerly, his side clearly causing him pain.

He rolled back onto the flat roof as Jiraiya's head shifted in his direction. He then stared up into the man's face.

"Hello Naruto, I am Jiraiya. We met briefly before the invasion."

"I remember your name Jiraiya-san."

"San? Can a Sannin not get any respect?"

"Titles mean little to me. Prince, pauper or jonin, if they are my target they die."

"Good. We need to talk."

"Need?"

"Well, I want to talk to you enough that if you try and escape I'll just capture you and hold you still."

Naruto realised that the man could. He wasn't the most powerful shinobi that Konoha had left for no reason. No sense in fighting it then.

"Ok let's talk."

"You're a very to the point person aren't you?"

"Yes."

Even if it was usually a crossbow bolt point.

"Not here, meet me atop the monument at sunset. I need to do some...research."

"Ok."

The man left, and Naruto decided to watch the slowly dispersing crowd a little longer. People and their interactions were proving to be more interesting every single day. There were so many and they were so varied a different and illogical.

He decided to go and wait atop the monument. It wasn't as if he had anything else to do.

He waited atop the monument. He hadn't been here before, and he now knew why. There was not very much cover atop the monument.

The archive library was there, as were a couple of other safe houses. Other than that, a small copse of trees still remained.

He wondered why the archive library was at the top of a mountain when it would be more convenient and efficient to have it nearer to the elevation of the city. Why would it be there unless you wanted people not to visit it?

He slipped into the woods and went to ground before activating his Byakugan. He was alone. He felt the effects of the mission he had just been on begun to catch up to him.

When was the last time he had properly slept? During the mission he'd only caught a few hours at most, and those had been filled with odd images.

Faces. Nothing but faces in his dreams. Some more prevalent than others.

He remembered them as if walking into a great hall of portraits. At the far end, larger than any of the others was a portrait of his former lord Danzo. The face was shrouded in darkness and shadow, half of the face in a calm expression of calculation, the other half and the bandages over his eye hidden in the darkness.

It was a perfect symbolisation of the man as far as Naruto was concerned. Calculating, dark and clever. Making decisions in the light with one hand and others in the dark with his other, out of sight.

Under it was a portrait of the Hokage, sitting back in his chair with a slight smile on his face. Or was it looking at him with concern and pride when he had been asking Naruto about how he felt?

Either way, it was the face of someone who wanted good for him. He had to admit the Hokage had been good to him, trusted his abilities and gave him things to do. Purpose. But he was fully in the light. No actually, there were some shadows under the eyes. A sign of age? No, a sign of something different. His hands were folded. A legacy of some of the hard decisions that he had had to make? Or the things he had done.

After all, his subconscious was good at picking things up.

There were more images, decreasing in size as their importance dwindled in his mind. He found pictures of Kurenai and Kakashi and Anko, each representative and expressive in its own way.

Kakashi's face in the picture had his mask on, and Naruto realised that despite a shadow of what dwelt below, that this was his real face. His actual face.

He glanced down the endless room and saw the pictures of the ANBU, of Talon, Pig and Hare. They were represented by their masks as well.

Kurenai's face was set in...kindly disapproval? A hint of admiration and respect? He realised he was using words for concepts he didn't truly understand yet like it was perfectly normal.

Then he saw the genin. He walked over to them, seeing the pictures too descending, yet big enough to pick out details. A glance back at his Lord's photo saw it towering behind him, hand seemingly guiding him along still, but there was some separation. It grew with every step, as if his were slightly longer than that of his Lord's.

Hinata and Baka's photos stood out, Hinata's face set in the one he had tried so hard to remember. He reached out a finger and ran it around the contours of the face, trying to pick out the emotions there. All of them. Every single one.

Baka's was there, grinning out at him, open as a book. The face, the smile. The hair that defied comb and brush. The hidden shyness in the eyes, the hunger of someone who wants to rise upwards.

Then Neji, set in anger and frustration, staring at him with hateful eyes. He realised Neji was representing all he really knew about hatred. It stared; he could swear it was looking straight through him.

Shino was there, again collar raised and glasses up, impassive yet somehow approving.

Kiba and Tenten had small, insignificant portraits. Then there was Sasuke's photo.

It was turned away from him, no matter where he moved, it looked away. It looked down at him, and away at the same time. Yet it was so small and insignificant. He realised it somehow had its back turned to every other portrait as well.

He realised Sakura didn't even register, but even as he did, a small portrait of a fist falling towards him emerged. It kept emerging and he sliced it off as came too close. The portrait fading into nothingness.

Then he saw the door. It was shrouded in darkness and shadow, a black door on a black wall covered in shadow.

But still devastatingly clear.

He didn't consciously move near it before it swung open. The darkness inside seemed to expand, but it wasn't darkness. It was shadow. Quarter-light, used and perfect for hiding in. The light that made shadows real and the real nothing but shadow.

The kind of light and dark he had used to kill with before.

The portraits all hung in the dark here as well. He realised what it was.

The prince hung, falling in his death pose with the bolt sticking from his chest. Gato was falling too, throat turned into bloody ruin by his blade.

There was Haku, a bolt sticking out from his head. The Suna jonin, flying away from an explosion that had come from nowhere. Gaara, his head separating in an explosion that slew him.

He walked down the hall, slowly increasing to a run.

Every single one.

Every single kill.

He felt some pride in his work, knowing that he had done these things for the good of his country and land, for his lord.

It didn't bother him in the slightest.

There was a flicker of a ghost coming towards him, a pale white figure with long hair bounding upwards towards him from some way away. It was like he was looking with his Byakugan.

Then it did bother him. The light was rising behind him, and now it was getting very dark. He tried to activate his Byakugan, but it wouldn't. He could barely see the photos.

Then the Suna girls face, splattered with blood and screaming in pain began to swim into focus. He waved his arm forcefully to the side and the painting tumbled into the ether where the wall had been.

There was a murmur as the portraits began to surround him on all sides, the floor becoming darkness and well as an enclosing sphere of dead faces surrounded him.

Then he realised the room contained nothing but one portrait before him. He knew what it was, he tried to turn away but as he did it followed him, forming before his eyes, getting closer and closer.

He tried to shut his eye but it wouldn't. Then he realised he had both his own eyes and he was younger.

Then the bloodstained dress came into view, and the tanto blade sticking out slightly off from where he had aimed to strike.

Then the face. The face. The screaming bloodied fearful face. The face that held the sound of his worst nightmares and fears. The sound of footsteps and screams. The sound of his breathing and a second stab, and a third. The rustle of trees. The sound of blood splatting on the walls and furniture. Then the sound of the scream and the sound of footfalls on the earth.

He swung the crossbow up and fired.

The white haired man snatched the bolt from the air and grinned at him.

"Good job on seeing me coming. You're as good as Talon and Kakashi reported. You weren't aiming to kill right?"

It had been a dream, just a dream. He recovered his composure.

"Indeed."

He rose from his kneeling position to a standing one. He barely remembered moving and firing, but it was the reflex he was trained in.

"I know all your abilities, although I'll have to read Kurenai-chan's report to see if you produced anything new from your bag of tricks. You interest me Naruto."

"Why? There is more to what you say than you let on."

"Yes. I want to take you out of Konoha and train you to take over my spy network."

Naruto read into the statement as if he'd been doing it his whole life.

"There is more than that."

"Yes. There is."

"What is it?"

"A trivial reason."

This man was too obvious he began to realise. There was something else at work here, and he was making it more obvious than necessary.

"It isn't."

"Look. Come with me and I will teach you how to become even stealthier than you already are which is extremely. Hell, I expect at some stage you'll create a jutsu for hiding in plain sight on a summer's day in the middle of the street. I also want to teach you a new technique?"

"Show me."

Jiraiya held out his palm, and a blue ball of chakra began to form in his hand. Naruto switched the Byakugan vision on mentally, seeing the swirling chakra condense and be contained by Jiraiya's control. It was certainly a sight to behold.

Jiraiya slammed the ball into a rock, ripping it to pieces with power. Chakra exploded outwards from the ball as the control was suddenly released from it.

He turned the Byakugan off to see the man grinning at him.

"Pretty cool huh? Awesome technique! No hand seals, just pure control and strength. Deadly."

"Too showy and visible. It would blow my cover before I could use it."

The man nearly fell over backwards at that comment.

"It is extremely useful for you. No hand signs."

"Slow charge up. Limited range. My crossbow and tanto are better bets."

"More damage."

"I only need one cut. Across the neck, into the heart. Maybe poisoned and then anywhere if it hits a blood vessel. I do not kill so directly. I'm an assassin, a ghost. Not a butcher."

The man sighed.

"You are not like your father."

That was interesting.

"You knew him?"

"Trained him."

"As a genin? You were his sensei?"

"Yes."

The man was literally pouring information into his ears.

"You do know that all teams are recorded in photographic evidence and makeup in the archive library not twenty feet away right?"

"Yes?"

"So I could go and find out now. All I need to do is look for your genin teams, find the photos, and look for resemblances."

"Oh."

Was he really just an idiot?

"Or did you know that I already knew?"

"You know your father was the fourth?"

"I do now. Are you really a Sannin?"

The man chuckled.

"You are just like him. Totally disrespectful in every way. He was funnier though."

"I am not disrespectful, only curious. You are a spymaster yet got tricked so easily, assuming you were telling the truth."

The man gave an exasperated and overly animated sigh.

"Look. My offer stands. Come with me, take over my network. I know all about your training and upbringing in the dark. I offer you a different darkness to play with, one where you can receive the praise you deserve, where you don't have to perform the darker deeds. Where people do not die."

"I will consider it. You have taken Baka as an apprentice already though."

"How?"

"It is your right as a Sannin, and he was with you when you came in with the new Hokage."

Jiraiya shrugged his great shoulders.

"Very observant. He helped bring Tsunade round to the idea of coming back, and fought well. His Spirit Transformation Technique is remarkable. Tsunade really saw Dan in him; it was his technique as well."

"Good. I think he is better suited to your ministrations."

"Why?"

"He's like you. I am not."

This seemed to sadden Jiraiya deeply. The shoulders sagged a little.

"But I'm your godfather."

"In name only. A ceremonial title is not right. In every respect you are a stranger."

"I want to change that."

"I don't. I am content doing what I am doing; assuming Lady Tsunade accepts my services."

The man walked away slowly, shoulders a little slumped.

"My offer will always be open to you Naruto."

Naruto nodded. As the man disappeared from view, he moved towards the archive library. Time to check the facts.

He moved up the walls of the closed and alarmed building with grace and speed until he reached a small open skylight above the hall. For a hall with so many secrets, it wasn't hard to break in.

He dropped down; walking down the dome it was set into with practised ease. He looked at the signs, and followed the corridors.

Eventually he found what he was looking for.

He moved towards his location without making a noise. He ran his hand along the signs he could see in the half-light of the moon from above, feeling the Braille code to find the letter he wanted. Then the sub-team. He found the folder and quietly left.

It was lighter outside, and he opened the folder and saw the photograph. And there it was. The truth. He'd known it was the truth the instant that Jiraiya had said so. After all, who else could have been there to seal the demon into him?

Even so, he was staring at his father's face at about his age. The hair was longer and spikier, the man wearing a white hooded jacket.

He was almost the exact opposite of him. He ran a hand through his short hair. It was the same colour, and he wondered if it would grow out like that. Not that he would let it.

"You didn't accidently let it slip. Your facade of idiocy is impressive. I can see you."

The chameleon jutsu Jiraiya was holding against the wall not a few feet away fell away slowly, the white haired man coming into focus as it did so. Jiraiya walked over behind him and knelt to see the picture.

"Thirty years ago, and I'm just as handsome as ever. But your father...he was something special. Not many people thought he had what it would take, but I saw it in him. He was brilliant, special, nearly perfect. He was a ray of sunshine. So fast, so precise, all he needed was an opportunity."

"He is the exact opposite of me."

"Really?"

"He is light, and only light. I know of the deeds of the Fourth Hokage. His techniques, including the one you showed me. His speed. His power. His ability to kill on instinct. But he is not what I am. I am a weapon who only kills when I am ordered; he is a Kage who kills when he needs to."

"I think you're more like him than you know. You only need one opportunity and you're precise and fast on the uptake too."

"I disagree. I suspect he understood people instinctively as well."

"He did, although he was a big of a goofball."

"I am unfamiliar with that term."

"You'll figure it out eventually, it's not always about what the word properly means but more about what it implies."

Naruto considered this for the future.

"Can I go? I wish to meet the new Hokage."

"Not quite yet. I'd like to see your seal."

"If I refuse?"

The man was very suddenly behind him, holding his arm behind his back.

"You won't."

The arm was released and Naruto shed his cloak and the upper half of his body glove. Pale flesh that hadn't seen the sun shone a little in the moonlight. There wasn't much substance, he certainly wasn't muscled or toned to an excessive degree, but the physique served him well.

"Channel a little chakra."

Naruto made hand signs and projected the genjutsu.

"So, whilst I have a look at this, what genjutsu is this?"

"It makes it hard for people to focus on us directly whilst we are stationary. I tend to use it with other genjutsu to help me fully hide."

"Useful. Right, the main seal looks in order. I have no idea what the rest of it is. It appears to be a very strong suppression seal. Very strong. Very, very strong. Incredibly crude as well. You can only channel about three to five percent of the chakra you could otherwise normally channel you realise?"

"Yes."

"If you removed this you would be a one man army."

"But spotted by every chakra alert life form within five miles."

"True. I can see why you keep it. Hang on. That. That is something I do not like. That looks forbidden."

The man was touching a spot on his side which had an indistinct little seal on it. He knew what it was and suppressed any physical movement.

"Oh, that seal. I have yet to use that seal."

"Good. That seal should never exist, and never should have existed. Danzo's work I take it?"

"It was amongst the first procedures I undertook at the start of my training. The suppression seal and the other seals were created before I had even touched a weapon. I see the importance of it now, but I remember the pain."

"I am going to remove that abomination though."

"No. If you try I will stab you through the neck."

Jiraiya saw the blade hovering. Whilst he could have just broken Naruto's arms and forced the removal, the young man was stubborn.

"Fair enough. Never use that. That seal is...evil."

That seal. A nondescript looking series of characters in a small matrix that sat meshed into the suppression matrices. A small, almost innocent looking creation.

Possibly the darkest piece of seal arts.

"The memory eating seal."

He voiced both their thoughts at the same time. The seal that he could use if he chose to lock away a part of himself and the memories he never wanted to recall.

He had been tempted before. He would never use it.

"Well, I have places to be Naruto. I shall talk to you soon, Hopefully."

Naruto nodded as the man leapt off the top of the monument down into the city below. He could survive that fall easily.

He considered dropping in on the Hokage immediately, but realised he had a much better way of doing so. He smiled as he moved for a rooftop close enough to the Hokage tower, after taking a small moment to see if he could find any more patterns in the starlight.


	24. A New Age

_A/N (It's a bit of an essay before the update, sorry about this, but it has to be said.)_

* * *

_So first up thanks for all reviewing so much! This story has nearly exceeded my previous story despite being only half as long and a pretty different beast! 276 reviews is more than I dreamed of, and this story isn't really even half way through._

_There's a but._

_Judging from the last chapter, more than a few of you don't like the Naruto/Baka thing that is going on in this story. Guest declared this chapter had ruined the story, InARealPickle (please turn PM back on so I can answer your review properly) and Arthain (cool name) didn't like how disconnected Naruto was from things. I think there are a few more people out there with similar thought, so for everyone in that boat, I implore you give me but a few minutes to give a bit more insight into the **whys** of Baka and Naruto._

_Let's start with a bit of background. Cause and Effect. For an effect, there should be a cause. Unexplained plot devices or sudden Deus Ex Machina are, to my mind, a bit rubbish. Thus when something happens in my story it happens with a reason for it as best I can do. I'm not perfect at this, but I try._

_So when I write the story, I use the canon as the original flow of the universe. If nothing influences the flow, it won't change from the canon. Neji is still a jerk, Hinata is shy as hell, and Kakashi reads his orange book. Team 7 goes to Wave, an invasion happens and Hiruzen dies. If it happens like canon I probably won't write about it._

_So when Naruto is removed the flow is changed. Gaara dies. Haku, Zabuza and Gato die differently, and Neji remains an arrogant son of a bitch. It's like dropping a stone into a still pond and watching the waves._

_But moving Naruto out of Team 7 is a change, and you have a variety of options if you remove Naruto from team 7._

_The first and most used is just to shuffle things around. Usually one of Kiba or Lee get bumped to team 7 so Naruto can do whatever in the other teams. That's alright as a basic fix, but removing Naruto from the entire academy makes this invalid._

_Option 2 is to bring someone into Naruto's space. Commonly Sai can be used (although how he is dead last amazes me) or another character who wears a red shirt and is killed quickly. I expect many people thought Baka was going to die in the Wave so Naruto rejoins Team 7. Nope._

_So in comes the OC, but does this change things? Hell yes. If he's a whiny unlikeable idiot who makes Sakura look athletic then it changes everything. Sakura, Sasuke, Hinata and Kakashi are the main ones affected in general by loss of friend, rival, love interest and "child" in that order. _

_So I didn't want that. I wanted to disrupt the flow as little as possible. Then I saw the opportunity for Baka. Let's look at him in a bit more detail._

_He very much is like Naruto. In fact, he ends up in the same situation a lot of the time. But he's different. He's not hated by the village, instead drawing inspiration from an inferiority complex that stems from his rivalry with Sasuke. His signature technique, my version of the Spirit Transformation Technique, brings out his inner strength like an inverse Susannoo, strengthened by his indomitable will and weakened when he feels scared. He's a confidence fighter, much like Naruto. His personality is like Naruto's, so Hinata draws the same strength from him._

_Now, people seem to dislike the fact I had Jiraiya take him to get back Tsunade and had Naruto declare him his apprentice. Let's examine the few sentences where I touch on this again:_

_'_

_"I will consider it. You have taken Baka as an apprentice already though."_

_"How?"_

_"It is your right as a Sannin, and he was with you when you came in with the new Hokage."_

_Jiraiya shrugged his great shoulders._

_"Very observant. He helped bring Tsunade round to the idea of coming back, and fought well. His Spirit Transformation Technique is remarkable. Tsunade really saw Dan in him; it was his technique as well."_

_'_

_Let's examine it in detail. Does Jiraiya directly confirm that Baka is the apprentice? He does not. He notes Naruto's observation that he noticed Baka instead of being wowed by Tsunade, Jiraiya and a bunch of ANBU. Remember, Baka isn't hated, he'd be more than likely ignored._

_Now, what is interesting is that Jiraiya is willing to dump Baka out of his care to take on Naruto. Canon Jiraiya would never do that, and would never consider dropping Naruto for anyone else. **Baka is not Naruto.**_

_So why would Jiraiya care? Simple, he used Baka as a tool to get Tsunade back. He doesn't care hugely about the boy, although he makes a good substitute for Naruto. Baka is like Minato, only he isn't. Naruto is the Godson, not Baka. Naruto is the Junchuuriki, not Baka._

_Remember cause and effect. Without Naruto and his learning the rasengan, Tsunade has no reason to come back. Cause and Effect. Baka, looking like Nawaki and using Dan's jutsu is the perfect foil for Naruto in this situation. We don't see the arc because Naruto does not. (and everyone is sick to death of the bloody thing)_

_So now we've sorted out why Jiraiya would take him as the apprentice, let's sort out how Baka is like canon Naruto, and how he is not._

_Physically he's different. By personality, both are pretty much the same. But we don't know a huge amount about Baka because Naruto doesn't show the required interest to learn it. What are Baka's hobbies? What does he do with his time off? _

_It's all too easy to just assume that because he acts like Naruto he is Naruto, and so it seems a lot of people have determined he eats ramen by the bucketful and raises flowers (both canon hobbies). The thing is we just do not know enough about him to assume he **is** Naruto. _

_Simply put, we don't actually know that much about Baka. **We don't even know his name.** _

_As a side note, he can say Dattebayo because it is a word. It's a word. Anyone can say any word. Believe it. Just because someone else says it famously doesn't mean other people can't. And that's the bottom line, cos Onmysignalunleasewords says so. I refuse to believe that saying Datte- is a genetically passed down tic only available to the Uzumaki clan, so I changed it. Don't like it? I got two words for ya. (you know what they are if you get the reference)_

_..._

_So to get back on track with this, there is a good reason I made Baka how he was. I could have crafted another character who was unique and useful for the story in his place, so I'll agree at a casual glance that it looks like a "cop-out" as Guest put it in their review. But I don't want to develop a character for that purpose because this is a story about how a different Naruto becomes more human. I could have given him a name, a backstory and had him have some heart to heart conversations that made Naruto human in a few chapters. But that would have been the easier route._

_Instead, I chose to choose an option that didn't disrupt the canon flow. I wanted someone to fill his place a little different to Naruto but similar enough to keep Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi, Hinata and everyone else he touches on the right track for as long as I need them to be on the canon path._

_When he's done that, you know exactly what going to happen. Much like Jiraiya and every evil villain, once a tool has run its course..._

_So I hope you understand why Baka is Baka, why Baka is Naruto and more importantly why Baka **is not** Naruto. If you want to discuss this please let's do it by PM and not review (reviews should be for the story and not me explaining the story) and I hope this helps._

_The stone was dropped into the pond at the start, and the ripples keep going outwards. Although at first the effect is small, it grows every second and gets bigger and bigger. Then the change affects everyone. Cause and Effect._

_Onwards to the story...and a meeting with Tsunade._

* * *

Tsunade spun round in the chair, hand steepled as the ANBU squad walked into her office. The woman standing beside her behind the desk sighed deeply.

Tsunade was currently feeling the rush of power that came with becoming Hokage, and had been greeting every single person that entered her office the same way, by spinning in the chair like she was a supervillain welcoming a nemesis. Shizune swore she'd heard mutterings about wanting a trapdoor installed. Tsunade had almost considered commandeering a cat for the day, before realising what the only one available was.

"Talon, Pig, Hare. Welcome to my office."

"Hokage-sama, welcome back to Konoha."

Talon greeted his new boss with a smile, not that it was visible.

"Now I remember that voice. You grew up well."

"You remember that? I was six at the time!"

"I remember it. I'm a good doctor. How's your shin?"

She smiled as she knew Talon was a probably blushing a little under the mask. The mood was relaxed. It was entirely unbefitting of a military tyrant meeting her head of elite operations, but hey, new leader, new ways right?

"The ANBU await your command lady Hokage. We welcome your leadership."

"Good. I've seen the reports of your work and I'm happy. I have no doubt that you will continue as usual."

"Of course Lady Hokage. We await your commands. We will spring into action!"

The man's excessive motion as he spoke the last phrase caused Tsunade to shake her head gently.

"The Old Man did mention you were eccentric."

"Did he mention witty, handsome and brilliant as well?"

"One of those, I'll let you choose which one."

She knew he was smiling behind the mask.

"Eyes off my apprentice though."

He staggered back, his gaze snapping away from Shizune.

"How?"

"I just know. Treat her wrong and I will take you apart at the seams, sow you together again and then punish you further. Clear?"

"Hai."

Shizune sighed. Was the ANBU captain handsome under the mask? Ah well, she wasn't interested. Being a doctor was her life, and add in being Tsunade's apprentice and keeper...well it took its toll on personal life. She never got a chance.

Tsunade was about to begin anew when a crossbow bolt arced gently through the window and landed on the floor, bouncing off the wood.

She barely blinked as she kept her gaze locked on Talon, who was staring at it like it was about to explode.

"Care to explain how someone fired a crossbow through my window Mr. Big Shot Captain?"

"That wasn't fired. That was thrown. And I think I have someone you should meet."

"Get them in here before I drag them in for throwing a crossbow bolt into my office."

Talon disappeared out of the window and stayed out for a couple of minutes. He then reappeared in the place of one of the cushions that had once been on a Sofa. He cursed as he headed back to of the window.

Pig sighed and handed a wad of cash over to Hare.

"He's learned new tricks it seems."

"Seems so."

Talon gave an exasperated sigh, and left the window again. There was a thump, the sound of metal on metal, then silence.

Talon and Naruto then came in through the window.

"I win again Lion. Nice trick with the sword though, I owe the Hokage a cushion."

He held up the gutted rag that had a sword hole in it and tossed it into a bin. Tsunade leant forwards in her chair.

"Talon, who is this? Why are you fighting them? And get me that cushion as soon as possible. Double stuffed, duck feather. The cover should be in red or blue. First mission for you, D-rank. Got it?"

Talon's head drooped. He thought he'd been done with that rank.

"This is Naruto...I'll leave you to talk to him."

The name rang a bell in her mind as the ANBU trooped out. A character from Jiraiya's first book, from before he had begun to write terrible smut. She remembered the years before, when Dan had been around. When she had believed in love. She'd found the book amusing, like reading the work of a nine-year old. Minato had liked it though, always the nice boy.

But who names their child Naruto? She cast an eye at the section of bookcase she knew slid away to reveal the black files that Hokage's kept of the most important secrets.

She stood, and smashed the bookcase cover off the wall. She reached in and picked up the pile of dusty folders. Time to start doing things her way. She checked the one at the top, ignoring the sound of confusion from Shizune.

"So Naruto, let's see who and what you are."

She read the first few sentences of the file and stopped.

She looked at him, still hooded and cloaked, staring straight at her with his single visible eye. Not much of his face was visible.

"Take down your hood."

He did. His short hair was a little matted and dirty from the time between washes, and his face was streaked with small amounts of dirt. But she could see it. She could definitely see it.

She read a few more lines.

"Stomach."

He lifted it up, she observed, and then she nodded. The shirt went back down.

She read the rest of the report and put the file back down beside the pile of other folders.

"I'll memorise the rest and burn them later Shizune. I don't like the dark secrets; I will not govern from the shadows."

Shizune smiled. It was good to see her master governing as she always did, bluntly and without any backstabbing. She was a direct person, in thought, word and deed.

She turned her full focus on Naruto.

"Name. ID. Rank."

"Uzumaki Naruto, 002953, Unranked."

"Good. First order of business, you are now a chunin. I'd offer you a flak jacket but I doubt you'd want one. Specialisations and techniques."

"Stealth and Assassination, expert in crossbow use, proficient in the use of blowgun, wire, kunai, tanto, poisons and genjutsu."

"Kill Shizune in the next ten seconds."

"What?"

Shizune barely had time to think before she found herself viewing, as if floating above her body, the sight of Naruto slicing her head off with a blade. She broke the genjutsu and ducked as the sword blade actually came to fulfil the vision.

She swung out a leg, but Naruto was flipping away, firing a blowgun at her. The dart caught her shoulder and she pulled it out before throwing senbon needles at him. He caught them with his cloak as he spun, then brought the crossbow up.

"Stop."

He stopped, and stowed the bow on his back. Shizune ran a hand over the point where the blowgun dart had hit and began to drain a little of the blood, muttering about a weak toxin.

"Go outside, strip, and declare your love of flowers, kittens and all things soft and cuddly. It will benefit Konoha."

There was a pause before he began to move for the windows.

"Stop. I know enough about you now."

He had stopped in mid air, grabbing the window ledge, and swinging himself back in.

"You're more hardwired to obey orders than anyone I've ever seen. The reports of your actions are confusing but make sense when you think about them from the right mindset."

"My mindset?"

"Probably. I probably have grounds medically to have you sectioned. I doubt you'd be in there too long though, you'd probably escape."

She sighed.

"What do I do with you? Throw you into ANBU, where Talon will appreciate you more? Give you free reign to follow missions? What do you want to do?"

"Your orders Hokage-sama."

She stared him down.

"Want to do. Not programmed to do."

"Missions."

"What kind?"

"Any you order me to."

She span round in the chair and threw her hands up in exasperation.

"Kami I think I need a Yamanaka to examine you just to see how your brain works. That would be a bad idea given your training and other conditions. Which reminds me, Shizune could you summon Danzo for me?"

"Of course Tsunade-sama."

She hurried out.

Tsunade just stared at Naruto, who found himself simply returning the gaze, looking into her eyes. Mostly. Much like with Anko, there was another, more round view within sight. He tried to ignore the roundness.

"What. To do. With you."

"I just desire to do missions. It's my purpose in life to kill and help Konoha."

"Interesting. So, when you kill someone, you are sure that killing them will help Konoha?"

He did pause for a small moment.

"If they are orders, I must assume that my superiors have reason to do so, and if I do so without orders, it has been during battle or with appraisal to killing the target."

"How many kills have you made on people who just got in the way of your target?"

"Five."

"Name them all."

"Three guards who didn't see me coming, one who did, and one other."

That 'other' was definitely something more. Her gaze narrowed a bit, catching his eyes.

"Who was the other?"

"A maid."

"What happened?"

He tried to remain focused but his memory was firing back into its perfect technicolour life again. He tried to block out the screaming.

"She...the screaming."

"What?"

"She found me by accident and screamed, so I had to silence her."

Her eyes widened a little. That sounded more like Root pragmatism, but it didn't sound like him from the rest of the interview. That was interesting.

"Did you not think to knock her unconscious?"

"Had to stop the screaming."

"It's ok, you can stop remembering now."

He shut down his brain as fast as possible with Hinata's face and its conflicting emotions. It was more soothing.

"You are very odd. You are a cold hearted killer who would kill my assistant, who is like a daughter to me, at the slightest word, yet loses control when you hear screaming. It's in Anko's reports on you. You knew she made them right?"

"It seems logical for her to do so for the Hokage, yes."

"Good. You're not an idiot. And you're not a psychopath. In fact, you're more normal than you think. Glance at my chest again for more than a second and I promise you I will cave your face in."

He tried not to break eye contact.

"Still don't know what to do with you. I'm worried about what happens if you get bored. Goodness know what would happen if some lucky girl screamed in joy with her young man and you came in through the window all kill on instinct. You know what I'm talking about right?"

"No."

That had her surprised, then she realised she shouldn't have been.

"You've never had the talk have you?"

"_The_ talk? Is it something Konoha shinobi are required to have?"

"Well yes. And no. It's about how babies are made."

"Oh. Sexual reproduction. I know of it."

Tsunade prayed he wasn't going to be that practical.

"So when I say the girl is screaming in pleasure?"

"A side effect of the copulation process?"

She sighed. Of course, he was all about the practical.

"If, and I say if, someday you ever enter the process yourself, you may understand."

"I am not yet at an age where reproduction would be beneficial, puberty has only just begun to happen."

She laughed. He was for real. He was verifiably both the most sheltered and open person in the world because he had no shame, no social stigma. Just spoke his mind, unrelentingly. But there was emotion in there somewhere. It had been glimpsed.

Shizune bustled back into the room.

"Danzo is outside waiting for you Tsunade-sama."

"Good. Naruto, hide somewhere in the room, I'll close my eyes and count to two."

Two seconds later she opened her eyes and he was gone. She decided to read the small number of black files on her desk. They made for slightly odd reading, but the information was committed to memory.

She summoned up her best authoritative tone.

"Enter."

Danzo walked slowly into the room. It just wasn't the same when it wasn't Hiruzen. Talks like this, assuming they happened, should be in the dark, in the shadows, late, when nobody would see. He felt almost exposed in the light.

He chided himself for such nostalgic thoughts. He would do what was necessary for Konoha in memory of his friend and rival.

"Tsunade-sama, May I be one of many to congratulate you for returning in our hour of need to fill the mantle of Hokage. Hiruzen would have been proud of you."

"I'm sure. I take you know this is all business Danzo."

"Good to hear you are a woman of action."

"Right, I've taken a look at Hiruzen's black files. You come up. As does this...Root?"

"Yes. A discrete team of highly trained shinobi capable of carrying out less savoury missions for the good of Konoha. We were officially disbanded at the end of the last great war, when the Fourth was appointed Hokage."

"Ah yes, your methods are?"

He evaded the obvious verbal trap.

"Were Lady Tsunade, the organisation has been disbanded. The methods were rigorous, testing, demanding. They form the toughest of shinobi to perform the toughest of missions where hesitation could cost hundreds of lives."

"By which you mean inhumane, bordering on torture, and that they are emotionless killers."

"Such were the sacrifices that needed to be made for the good of Konoha."

That sounded like Root pragmatism and sounded like everything she stood against as a medic.

"No more. Disband Root immediately. Properly. Fully. Do not keep a private army from the world. Release to me a full roster of Root shinobi, so I can place them into ANBU positions or where they are needed. No more dealing in the shadows. This is a new age Danzo. No more secrets. No more darkness."

"But the usefulness of Root is..."

"Expended. Exhausted. Konoha is weak, but I will rebuild it stronger than ever. We will become the greatest of the nations, moreso than ever before. Do not mistake my approach in the light for weakness Danzo."

Danzo sighed. It was as he had feared.

"Naruto, come out again."

A small, potted plant in the corner transformed into Naruto.

"Danzo-sama."

Danzo gestured to Naruto, who stood to attention, hood raised and cloak hanging around him.

"Lady-Tsunade, I present Root. Naruto has been my sole operative for some years now. Hiruzen entrusted him to me when he was small when the orphanages stopped accepting him. Now he is, as you must agree, a fine shinobi."

"He is. But he is all your Root force?"

"Times were good for Konoha before the invasion, the number of missions that needed doing were relatively low, and so I needed only one operative."

"Is this the truth Naruto?"

"Yes."

The answer escaped him before he could prevent it. He realised that he couldn't have resisted anyway.

He blanked on his Byakugan and saw the light behind Danzo's bandaged eye. The technique was strong, but it was being used on him? Surely he should have targeting Tsunade to keep Root intact.

"I give you my Root shinobi, much as I entrusted him to Hiruzen. Do well with him Hokage-sama."

"And yourself Danzo?"

"I would wish to be part of your senior advisors and elders to offer council as you might require it."

"I would welcome such council."

It was logical, but Naruto saw a different path. There was an old military saying he had found during his studies with Root about keepings one's enemies closer. He suspected that both parties were using the ploy to keep the other in check.

The symbiosis was stunning. He realised that over the years Danzo and the old Hokage must have known each other perfectly.

"You are dismissed Danzo, I will seek your council when it is required."

"Thank you Lady Tsunade. Good luck Naruto, may you continue to serve the leaf."

"Hai Danzo-sama."

* * *

Danzo left the room and walked sedately out of the tower, using his stick in an obvious manner. The illusion of frailty was important to keep himself safe in Konoha. Still, he had only a small window before Tsunade had him followed.

He ducked into an alleyway and took off towards one of the numerous passages under the walls that he had installed. The Root had been cut from the leaves, but it would continue to serve. Even without Hiruzen controlling it, it would continue. Even if it and he faced censure.

The Root would continue to grow.


	25. The Human Factor

**A few weeks later**

Naruto slipped in through his perpetually open window and slipped his equipment off onto the battered chair in his room. It occurred to him that he didn't actually know what colour it was. Still, why should he? Colour didn't really matter that much to him.

The mission he'd been on had been forgettable, and he remembered he had a mission report to create for it. The sooner he put it on paper the sooner he could stop holding the active information.

Good thing he could write legibly in the dark. He reached for the pad of paper that he'd obtained for this purpose and a pen, and began to write.

_'Mission Report: Uzumaki Naruto_

_Mission: Escort medical convoy to outlying villages_

_Rank: C_

_Status: Successful'_

He paused. What else was there really to write? He opted for the direct approach.

_'The mission was completed without any need for my aid or intervention, and the convoy was not followed or intercepted by any form of enemy forces. _

_It was undertaken over a period of two weeks and 3 days, with 5 of those days being stationary within the villages the medical convoy was visiting to allow for treatment to occur.'_

He realised he was finding this task interesting. It took his mind away from the dark things he had been mentally staving off ever since he re-entered Konoha. He applied pen to paper with more energy.

_'The convoy was greeted with enthusiasm in each of the villages, with vocal and body language positives from all the convoy encountered. Although only three emergency cases needed immediate care, the presence of medical staff away from Konoha appears to have brought happiness to the populace. This thus increases the farming and production output, and helps Konoha directly._

_One particular incident involved a young girl who...'_

He paused. The words just seemed to come to him sometime. Even if what he was writing was beyond his remit, he felt almost compelled to...to.

There was the sound of a senbon needle hitting a wooden board outside his door. Baka was learning then.

He walked up the walls and crouched upside-down in a dark upper corner. Eventually the door squeaked open with the sound of dying cat. Baka shut the door gently and waited. For a few seconds before walking forwards. A clumsy foot hit the report on the paper.

He picked up the report and moved towards the light switch. Naruto dropped and grabbed the hand just before it made contact, moving it up behind the boys back.

"No kunai this time?"

"I don't have any reason to kill you."

"You're going soft."

The voice sounded amused.

"What?"

"It means you're becoming less...spiky in your greetings. As in less bladed weapons involved. Could you let go, it is still quite painful."

Naruto relinquished the hold.

"You're back. How have your missions been?"

"Dull. Yours?"

Naruto remembered that dull was another term for lacking in deviation from the norm.

"Similar. I'm writing the report for mine at the moment."

"Can I see? Well I won't be able to in the dark actually. Can you read it to me?"

Naruto knew the answer to that.

"Yes."

A small silence followed with Baka letting out a gentle sigh.

"_Will_ you read it to me?"

"I could, but why are you interested?"

"Well, you're a good ninja. I want to get better, so getting to know how you think would be a good idea. Kakashi-sensei said it would be good for me to calm down in my approach to combat, and well, you seemed like a good person to talk to. Ero-sennin is too wild. You're calm, logical. I need some of that."

"That makes sense. You're improving."

"You know it. I'll be better than you soon."

"Our fields of expertise are so different that any such comparison is useless."

"You're no fun. Can I hear the report now?"

Naruto began to read the report. He'd already half committed what he had written to memory anyway in case he was called to talk further on it. He doubted he would, the Hokage seemed wary of him, distrustful. Probably a difference in philosophy about how they were shinobi.

"Keep going."

He realised he'd finished reading the report.

"I haven't written any more. Your arrival meant I stopped."

"Oh. Narrate. Tell me what you would write as you write it. You have a nice reading voice as well. Guess you've never heard that before either huh?"

"Indeed."

He retrieved the pad and pen and paused to catch where he left off.

_'...young girl, who was suffered a severe injury during a game of 'Ninja'. The intelligence of her jump must come into question, but the medics involved took no heed of this and immediately began a healing jutsu. _

_I was sceptical of this action, as the medic in question had not compiled a full list of the ill and injured in the town, and his attention might have saved other lives in a hypothetical situation. However, they continued regardless, and had soon stabilised the girl's condition. _

_From there, they held an open clinic for all in the town. Having saved the girl, trust had been gained, and a large number of complaints, ranging from serious to imagined were soon diagnosed and treatment begun._

_I suspect, although proving such a thing with so many additional human factors...'_

"What? Human factors?"

He felt a buzz of annoyance at the interruption.

"Things that a logical analysis of a situation with humans does not seem to account for. Where the optimal outcome is missed due to an illogical decision."

"Like?"

"Ok, you are in a skirmish with a superior opponent."

"Right."

"A situation within the battle arises where you can save one of your two teammates. Which one do you save?"

"So pick Sakura or Sasuke?"

"Yes."

"For a pure skirmish situation?"

"Yes."

"No other things around? Noone else to help? I make one decision?"

"Yes."

"Sakura-chan."

He realised he'd been half expecting the answer not to be the one he'd have chosen.

"Why?"

"Sasuke is more likely to survive the situation, so I would save Sakura. Plus umm, I have other reasons to."

"See, that is a human factor. Your affinity for her leads you to make a sub-optimal choice. Sasuke is clearly more combat effective than Sakura is at this stage."

Baka sighed.

"But you don't get it. Given the choice, same situation, between saving a young child or a shinobi, which do you save?"

"The situation would be unlikely to arise for me."

"Choose."

"The shinobi."

Baka slapped his hand off his head with a smack.

"And you are the only person on this planet that would choose that path. You save the child. You save the damn child. Only a heartless person would do so."

"It would be inefficient to have such a party in combat. If the situation developed, I would have to fight more defensively to protect the child."

"You save them. Always. Get them to run, die if you have to to save them. Children are not simply sacrificed for efficiency."

That made sense. Anko had mentioned something like this before.

"The human factor."

"If that is what it is then I am glad I have it."

The boy's voice had risen from the whisper he used in Naruto's presence to a low growl. There was determination etched into every line of his face. Naruto memorised it like he had Hinata's. It was there in both. Determination. Raw untempered drive. Even if his face was only cast in shadows due to the darkness, it was still clear.

The boy backed down under the one eyed gaze, looking away slightly.

"Sorry, keep reading."

_'...my conclusion is that the actions led to a greater number of people coming forwards. As such I commend them for their actions. I am unaware of the name, but the serial number was 001654, and the man was middle aged with grey hair.'_

Baka muttered something so quietly that Naruto barely heard it. It sounded like something about names.

_'The only other personal observation of note was that on the twelfth morning, there was a sunrise that consisted of several colours, which melded perfectly with the autumn leaves that were present in the forest at this time. The contrast with the evergreen leaves from the other trees was something I found interesting. However, I did not have much time to observe the variety of reds and yellows as the convoy broke camp at its regular early time.'_

"You too?"

Naruto tried to understand the sentence. The grammar was wrong. Baka rolled his eyes.

"You like sunsets and sunrises as well? The Wave country had some really nice ones."

"I...find them interesting. The gradient mixing of the light may provide some use in terms of shadow camouflage, or a form of genjutsu I could use to better blend my shadows together. Furthermore..."

"You find them pretty?"

"I find the aesthetic aspect to be a minor bonus when compared to the uses that such phenomena could have."

Baka almost laughed.

"Right, I challenge you, next time you see a really good one, just to look at it like a picture. Just look at the prettiness instead of the practicality. I dare you."

"I accept this training."

Baka yawned. Night had been well set by the time he had arrived.

"I gotta go, early morning training with Kakashi-sensei. See you next time Naruto."

"You too Baka."

The boy left via the window, clumsily only just making it to the rooftop as tired feet slipped a little on the window ledge.

Naruto turned back to the report, considered anything addition, then folded it neatly for submission to her intray the next day. He'd probably just get in at four, and then wait to see if anything came up.

He silently yawned and paused as the implications hit him.

Whilst yawning was not unusual, this one felt like it had drained him. His eyes caught the dim outline of his bed in the corner and the implication of softness was inviting. Very inviting.

When had he last slept properly?

He checked the moon and guessed the time to be about midnight. That gave him a four hour window where sleep was possible.

He slumped onto the bed and crashed into a gloriously dreamless and undisturbed sleep.

* * *

He had once more been hanging from the ceiling of the mission hall when a sign finally appeared that he would have a more interesting mission.

A very obvious sign. In fact, it was a literal sign. The Hokage had finished dismissing the team for their missions, and held a piece of paper upwards with the words _'Office, two hours'_ written on it. She'd held it for a couple of seconds before crumpling the paper up and tossing it into a bin behind her with practised ease. The paper didn't touch the lip of the bin on it's trajectory.

So now he found himself standing in the office with some familiar people. Specifically, Talon and Anko.

"Right, the Daimyo has requested that we make some kind of impression on Suna to prove that we are not weak from Orochimaru's attack. Even if we've countered every border feint they make, we are supposed to make an impression by striking back, even if the assault is small. Given we have a lot of specialists as opposed to a large number of regular forces, I've decided to make a little surgical strike."

Anko bounced up and down a little.

"Who's the target?"

"Patience Anko. There's a reason you're here. We have intelligence that indicates they are close to appointing a new Kage, but that the Wind Daimyo is cautious about him. I think we should shake him up, prove that we can hit anyone, anytime we want. If that keeps the Daimyo from making a decision, Suna weakens more."

She tossed the three files to all three of them with a nonchalant flick. If you could do it with shuriken, well, files weren't too different.

The man had no real distinctive features that Naruto cared about. He memorised the picture anyway. He was a target.

"I'm just sending you three in. Your job is to infiltrate Suna and its hidden village, find the Kazekage candidate, and either kill or frighten him, preferably the latter. Ideally you could capture him, humiliate him, and then give him back to them."

Talon tossed the file aside with an even more casual flick than the Hokage's.

"Sounds cruel of you to order Hokage-sama."

"We are at war, even if it is only unofficially. The Fire Lord desires the lands for himself, although I'm not entirely sure why."

"More land, more money I guess."

"That sounds about right. Dismissed, good luck. This is going to be a difficult mission."

* * *

The three of them left the tower and regrouped at its base. Darkness was beginning to fall over Konoha, the sunset burning a dull red in the distance. It wasn't interesting enough for Naruto's taste.

"I'm guessing you both came fully equipped?"

"Yes Talon-kun."

"Yes."

Talon's mask gave no indication as to annoyance or not.

"Right then, let's move out to Suna."

Naruto once more found himself bounding to try and keep up with the older shinobi. He was still not built for fast travel at long distance, but he kept the pace that Talon set.

He stared out into the desert from the edges of the dead forest. He felt the place was deadly in more ways than he expected. He noted it down as a place he could flee to if necessary.

By day, the desert was possibly the greatest defence that Suna had. The nearly endless desert, combined with the scorching heat and tiring conditions made it difficult for outsiders to operate at full capacity.

With oasis's hidden by genjutsu, the locations known only to Suna shinobi, water was even harder to come by. Get lost, or travel too slowly through the desert and you were dead.

They were going to wait until night fell. The clouds remained free from the sky, and the light of the moon would be able to guide them forwards. But night was when the Suna shinobi would have the best chance of spotting and ambushing them. It was a price worth paying to avoid the burning heat.

There was very little cover, and nothing but sand and the occasional venomous creature.

All in all, the place was horrible.

Naruto found himself almost admiring the way that nature crafted its own perfect death trap for people to just walk into.

He glimpsed out using his Byakugan at the desert and found possibly the most wondrous sight he'd ever seen,

The desert was glowing under the vision. Glowing. A weak signature, like that off a civilian crowd, but it was there. That meant the desert, the entire desert was charged with chakra. He wanted to stare and stare at it. Then he knew he had to say something because it was something exceptional.

"Talon-taicho, Anko-chan, the desert is charged with chakra."

"As in someone is using a large slow jutsu?"

"No, the entire desert has chakra. Every grain of sand has been charged."

"That is...unprecedented. Any ideas as to why?"

"The only logical conclusions are that someone immensely powerful has cast a large scale jutsu over the desert area within my sight range along the border, or that a Bijuu is reforming."

Anko looked at Talon, a look of worry on her face.

"How far is your sight range Naruto?"

"Roughly half a mile."

Anko raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Suna don't have anyone that powerful at the moment do they?"

"No. That means the one-tails is reforming in the desert."

"Shit."

The word summed up the idea of a tailed beast reforming in the desert on their borders. But it did create a vast array of idea for Naruto.

"The purpose of this mission is to prove Konoha's superiority to Suna is it not?"

"And to weaken Suna as well. You have a plan?"

"Somewhat, I have an end goal and a part of the means devised."

Talon's voice was firm, all humour lost.

"Share."

"The reformation of the one-tailed beast will cause Suna alarm and they will seek to both save themselves and to capture the beast. The sealing will likely involve several high ranking Suna shinobi and seal masters. If we act at the right time, we could cripple their strengths and prevent them taking the beast. We won't even have to go into Suna to kidnap them."

Talon considered the plan.

"Devious. How long until it reforms?"

"Not sure, I would need to observe the desert for a much longer period of time to observe the effects of its reformation."

"Estimate."

"I cannot with any degree of accuracy."

Talon sighed. They were on the border, which was a couple of days away from Konoha. Ideally, he'd send word back and get a whole platoon of ANBU and Jiraiya ready for this. He didn't know if he had the time.

"Right. This mission just hit S-rank. We need to get additional backup."

Naruto shook his head.

"If we miss this opportunity, Suna will be much more dangerous."

"Darkie-kun has a point. I'm not leaving."

Talon sighed.

"Well, we have to get backup, and unfortunately none of us has a summon animal suitable for message carrying. I'm heading back; I should be back in two days max. If it does start reforming, do what you can but don't take any risks."

"Hai."

He left at speed, chakra enhanced muscles propelling him towards Konoha once again.

* * *

_A/N Ghost just exceeded The Damaged Network in terms of reviews. All of you are awesome!_


	26. Desert Shakedown

As Talon disappeared from view, Anko looked concerned for a moment and then shrugged.

"Well, just you and me Darkie-kun. How are we going to pass the time?"

She gave him a look that made him feel confused internally.

"I need you to evaluate a toxin for me."

The expression didn't change, but he felt better nevertheless.

"Anything special?"

"5 part toxin, delayed reaction."

"Ooh, five parts? What combination did you find?"

"Several of the ones in the appendix I had to perform further research on. It uses some common ingredients but the chemistry requires several steps, I'm trying to do one of them within the victim."

"Ooh. Tell me more. Do you have a written formula?"

He reached into a pocked and drew a scrap of paper out. She took it from him and made sense of the slightly incoherent scribble.

"Not one of permanent records are you."

"Only realised it last night. Couldn't find any plain paper."

She subconsciously noted it wasn't like his personality to not know where any would be. Then again, he was only human.

"Ah. Looks neat. So five components, three ingredients and two catalysts. Interesting."

"With luck, they already eat two components."

"Nice. I might borrow this on my next long term mission. If you ever get to use it, let me know."

"I shall."

He looked at the desert once again. The sand looked darker. Anko looked at him.

"Could you take down your hood so I can at least try to judge your facial expression?"

He did so.

"You always do it when you get asked you know. Why not just keep the hood down."

He paused. She had a point. Then again, most of the time he was on missions and the hood was useful cover for hiding.

"It has advantages more than disadvantages most of the time."

"Fair enough. How's the sand?"

"Growing in strength. It must be the reformation of the one tails."

"Ugh. Those things scare me. I was a kid when the last attack happened, barely made chunin."

Hopefully she wouldn't ask too many direct questions.

"How was it?"

"The chakra...the power. Honestly I don't know how the Fourth did it, but he died doing it. Sealed the thing into a baby as well."

Naruto found himself internally praying that she didn't ask if he knew who. Hopefully she wouldn't correlate his age with that of the attack date.

"Do you know who?"

"No. But it's the only way that makes sense, and I know about Junchuuriki. Poor kid."

"Why?"

"He'd be like you, only lonelier. Everyone would hate him because of something that isn't his fault."

"They wouldn't see the greater good?"

"Yeah. No idea where they are though. Probably well hidden."

Naruto realised that he had been. Then again, he hadn't been like Gaara. Gaara was a weapon of terror. He was a knife in the dark.

"I would use them as a weapon."

"That's unlike you Naruto."

"Well they have something which would cause them to be very powerful. It would make sense."

"The last one before you wasn't. She was brave and strong and didn't need it to be strong."

"Who was she?"

"Kushina Uzumaki. We all kinda knew she was with the Fourth as his true love, and we were happy for them, even if they wanted it secret. She was kind, she was brave. She was strong as hell."

"You sound sad."

"She died with him, protecting the poor baby that got the Nine-Tails sealed into it. She was brave."

That made him feel like he was glowing. He knew his father was the fourth, so logically his mother must have been this Kushina. He filed the name away for later research. He felt pride that his mother was brave and strong. His Byakugan caught the gentle movement in the desert.

"The desert is changing."

"A wind seems to have picked up."

"It's moving inwards towards the centre."

Anko gently thumped the ground.

"Damnit Talon, you left at just the wrong time."

"Let's move."

"Right. Headset. We're gonna need to be in contact during this."

He slipped the headset on and heard Anko's voice directly in his ear once again.

"Any questions?"

"Who are our targets?"

"The leader and any seal artists. Try and make it subtle, hopefully they'll be distracted by the fifty foot demon racoon that will be dripping bloodlust and death."

"Hai."

He assumed she meant the dripping was literal. Liquid bloodlust and death would likely have odd properties, although the concept was interesting. He ignored the thought entirely as he'd never have time to consider it.

He followed the chakra in. It was withdrawing, like it was being sucked up into one place. It was dragging the sand with it, and he realised he didn't need the Byakugan to see what was happening.

He kept back some distance from the retreating sand, and Anko did the same.

"It's amazing to watch isn't it Darkie-kun?"

"Yes. The vision from my eye is also something to behold. It is like waves on a beach being sucked back."

"That's quiet poetic of you. Are you sure you're an emotionally stunted loner Darkie-kun?"

"I'm a ghost."

"Of course."

They kept following into the desert. The sun began to fall over the horizon, and they welcomed the cool of the night. The moon rose, causing eerie dancing shadows to form over the desert in the moonlight. The sand oscillated as it went, moving and swaying as it went.

It was getting thicker, a small wave of sand drifting across the surface of the land, growing in thickness and height, solid circles of sand moving inwards. Inwards and in eddying concentric circles. He could see the tendrils of it reaching out for things. He didn't want to know what they would do if they encountered someone or something.

* * *

They continued to follow in the cool of the night, until something large appeared on the horizon.

"Is that a tornado?"

"Looks like it Darkie-kun. Probably the centre of the reformation and it's still at least a mile off."

The thick sand was coalescing, a two foot wave a foot deep that was churning up the desert slowly as it ran towards the vortex at its centre, slow but unstoppable.

He heard Anko whistle under her breath.

"This is going to be a real shit storm. Hope you're ready for the ride."

"Isn't it a sand storm?"

"Figure of speech Darkie-kun, you don't seem to have got the hang of them yet."

"I think now is not the time for illogicality of speech Anko-chan."

"Probably. See anyone?"

"Not by Byakugan, the sand is intense enough that it is hiding everything in the area."

"Hmm, visual is going to be difficult, but then again, this works to our advantage."

"Agreed, if no-one can see anyone else, we have the advantage."

The noise from the communicator was getting crackly.

"Codeword is leaf if we find each other."

"Hai."

"Good hun..."

The communicator cut off in a wash of static as the storm intensified. There was a shape forming at the centre of the storm, and Naruto crept behind the sand wall which had now reached three feet high.

He kept his one eye open, searching for figures on the horizon.

He saw them. There were three figures in his sight range, two of them standing and one kneeling. He considered the composition of a sealing team and considered responsibilities.

He took the crossbow off his back, and went to ground atop a small dune. He pinned his cloak under his knees to stop it flapping about, and took aim.

The sand was everywhere, even without the gradually intensifying maelstrom not a hundred metres away.

He took very careful aim and fired at the kneeling figure. The path of the bolt took it through a tiny portion of the sandstorm, neatly towards the man's head.

The impact never happened. He watched with some fascination as the bolt was snatched out of the air and thrown out of the storm randomly.

He needed a new angle.

He moved, stumbling slighting in the moving sand before he applied chakra to hold himself above the sand. He shifted around a rough circle around the two guarding ninja. He tried the Byakugan once more.

In the brief glimpse he got before he switched them off to avoid blindness, he caught sight of a great figure forming at the centre of the storm, and threads of chakra surrounding it like ropes. There was a lumpy body and something that looked very much like a very big tail, and it was being drawn into a wep of chakra.

The sealing was happening then.

He made sure the path between himself and the team was clear before aiming and firing at the sealer once again.

This time the bolt landed true and the man slumped forwards in the sand. The guards, to their credit, given they were trying not to look at the giant reforming racoon demon behind them, turned and looked at his body. The surprise was their downfall.

Naruto took both of them out with single shots from behind, then watched as the sand dragged the bodies inwards. That was creepy.

Then the earth shook.

He realised that the sealing team were one of the few things stopping the demon from reforming and simply killing everything in sight. If it did reform, it had to be pushed towards Suna. What exactly did a tailed beast want or fear? How did you herd one?

The earth shook again and the tornado of sand expanded and began to take on a more coherent shape. Apparently Anko had taken out another seal expert. That meant their comrades were probably getting suspicious.

He went to ground, half burying himself in the sand that whipped around as a Suna shinobi came round the edge of the sandstorm at speed.

The man immediately knew where his colleagues should have been, and his distress was clear even with the obscured vision of the storm. He realised the sandstorm was growing even stronger in intensity as the beast reformed more and more.

This was a bad place to be. Why had he rushed in so close? Why had he not fully foreseen the consequences of killing a sealing expert mid process?

The jonin was running back to where he had come from, and that probably meant the Kage-candidate was there as well.

He followed, keeping low, but there was no cover left. All the sand was either flat of being sucked inwards. The rough outline of limbs was beginning to form in the storm, the veil of sand being sucked inwards as it did so.

Every second the figure became clearer and more defined. He realised he likely had mere minutes.

He continued to follow the man as he rounded the edge of the storm.

Then he heard the noise. The deep roar, but the horror was the mostly sub-sonic frequencies of a beast forming again. He tried not to look at the thing. A quick glance took in a gaping hole at the top of the pillar opening.

He decided it was best not to look.

"Na...to...pu...out...no...fore...ate"

The message was garbled with static, but the intent was there. Her voice was heightened and more edgy than before. Naruto almost checked his motion. But his principles had to hold. The mission had to be completed. With two sealing experts still in action, he knew they could still stabilise the sealing. He had to take out one more, and possibly the Kage-candidate.

He caught sight of the sealing party as the man reached them. He couldn't see anything, vague outlines of shapes in the light of the breaking dawn.

How long had they been out here following the trail? How far into the desert was he?

He could just see the men. The scout was gesturing frantically, clearly afraid. The man he talked to was holding a battle-fan in his hands. His body was rigid, his expression nearly hidden but clearly rigid. Whether from stubbornness or fear he didn't care.

Naruto slid the crossbow out, and checked the line of sight. The sealer was more important.

He fired as the earth shook. The vibration took the shot slightly off target, and it grazed the sealer's side, ripping a long flesh wound into their side. They slumped slightly, holding the wound with one hand as they tried to concentrate.

It was all the weakening the beast needed.

The shockwave blasted Naruto backwards, and he flipped as he did so, landing in the soft cushioning sand.

He decided now was definitely a good time to get out. He began to move eastwards, judging the stil rising sun as west and moving towards Konoha's border. His earpiece had gone dead, the static wash being tuned out by his training.

He glanced towards the Suna team once again. They were staring up at the maelstrom. But it wasn't one anymore. He suddenly realised that everything had gone very, very quiet, and awfully still.

He looked round to see the beast. After all, you only got to see one of these things once, and he figured that his Byakugan wouldn't tell him anything immediately useful.

It stood a full sixty feet tall, skin the colour of the sand with black markings over its body in places. It was sitting with its eyes closed, the expression on its face in a slight smile. Then it unfolded and stretched.

It was either happy or savouring being whole once again. He realised it was probably the latter.

He sped up before a deafening, subsonic roar knocked him off his feet. He glanced back at the Suna party.

They were preparing to fight, the one with the battle fan was at the fore, preparing himself for conflict with the beast. His posture was clear and stubborn.

Most people would have seen the bravery and the courage of a man who knows he is going to die and is going to do the right thing as leader and fight to the last.

Naruto merely saw a man about to throw away his life. Not his problem.

The beast snorted at the man and then turned to face him. It extended a long clawed paw and pointed him out.

The man stiffened and swung his fan. The jutsu bounced off the beast with barely a sound. The beast began to laugh. It was chilling, the noise like a dozen houses being crushed with each mocking snarl.

"Naruto, if you haven't, get out of there!"

He began to move, Anko's voice was now clear given that the storm had gone. He began to move. He turned the Byakugan back on to cover his back. Then he saw the great beast turn. It moved slowly, each step causing a small tremor in the earth until it was facing him.

It extended a claw and roared.

The wind was intense, the subsonic sound shaking him, awakening a response from his ancestors of raw fear. He mastered the feeling and backed away slowly.

Then he saw the chakra gather and made several clones to scatter them. The wind jutsu about five metres wide, and made of highly condensed wind chakra slammed into his position just after he switched places with the clone.

"What hell! Is it attacking you? What did you do to it?"

Could it really sense that he had killed its host? Was it mindlessly attacking him?

He didn't answer, there was no time. He couldn't keep this up forever, and running would lead it into Konoha. He had very, very few options.

In fact, he only had one, and it was a half chance. And it was something he did not want to do at all.

He switched places with a second clone as another jutsu ripped the area around him to pieces again. Sand burst into the air at least ten metres. He slammed through memorised but all but unused jutsu. He'd only done this technique once in his training, and then only for a brief time before it had been ended by someone else.

He felt the outer seal on his stomach burn briefly as they unlocked and left space vacant. He then felt the second burn as the other chakra swarmed upwards to fill the space.

He let out a hiss as he saw the red chakra begin to swim into his veins. He felt the unreal power flood into his veins. He fought the urge to leap at the giant thing before him and fight it.

Instead he merely stared up at the beast which had stopped attacking. Even though he was several hundred metres from the beast, he looked into its eyes and it into his. He stared at the beast and it seemed to pause.

It took another step forwards, it's mouth forming a wider, darker sneer. It recognised the chakra, and it thought it could overpower it. He had to push further.

More of the chakra shifted into his system, and he slumped down to all fours on instinct. He felt the presence of a heavy limb from behind him, which he instinctively knew to be a tail. He stared up from the sand at the beast, his tail lashing behind him. Swaying it around threatening came as naturally to him as moving an arm. It felt like it had always been a part of him.

He felt like roaring at it, his vocal chords nearly forming the sound. He fought the instinct. He had to fight it or it would consume him.

The beast took another step. The animal in him took a little more control.

He roared, a small sound compared to that of the beast before him, more of a hiss. The racoon demon's ears twitched and he saw its expression change. Naruto felt like shouting that this was his land, but it only came out as the same hiss. He stopped. He realised the hiss was echoing from somewhere.

The beast paused and stared him down again. He felt the chakra reach his eyes fully, and his Byakugan vision turned red. The beast took a hesitant step backwards. He could see the impacts of jutsu on its back from the Suna shinobi, who tried to take advantage of the situation.

It then turned swiftly and roared down at the mortals who had tried to seal it once again. The giant tail slammed into the desert as Naruto fought the adrenaline in his veins to form hand seals once again.

The urge to leap after his quarry and fight it was growing that his muscles were fighting his brain. His hands wanted to be claws and he forced them into the shapes required. His brain would win.

He made the final one and felt searing agony flood his body as the outer seal reformed.

He felt his flesh burn under the pain as the red chakra was bled from his system. He collapsed to one knee as the process finished. He felt every limb ache after it was over. He felt like everything was heavier than before. He felt the withdrawal like a blade being pulled out of a wound. He felt the loss of his tail with a pang of regret.

He panted for a second and started moving towards the border as fast as he could, stealth forgotten. Hopefully the Suna shinobi would run for Suna and draw the beast that way.

He then realised he'd been ignoring the voice in his ear the entire time.

"Naruto? Naruto?"

"Here."

"You sound bad. You ok?"

"I'm...fine. That was not pleasant."

"What the hell made that thing turn around? What the hell was that other noise? Did you hear it? And what was that other chakra? It felt like that night the Kyuubi attacked. But it can't be, that would mean it's...oh. Oh. No. No. No. Where are you?"

"Moving towards the border."

"I'll try and catch you on the way back, if you see any snakes, don't kill them ok? My headset is nearly flat."

"Hai."

* * *

He kept moving, and eventually the light scrubland of the border came into sight. He'd never felt happier to see trees. The sun had risen, and the baking heat of the desert beat down upon him as he found the stream on the border.

He stumbled into it and drank deeply from the waters, kneeling in the refreshing coolness.

There was a crash a few metres to his left and a splash of a person hitting the water as well, and a feminine gasp of refreshment.

"Anko-chan."

"Darkie-kun!"

It wasn't her normal exclamation. It was different. It was full of tension and relief and a thousand other light intonations. Naruto didn't have enough time to register it before she had wrapped him into a tight embrace.

"I'm sorry, I never knew."

"It's ok."

"So you were the poor baby on that night. You had the most horrible start and...you..."

She started to weep gently into his shoulder. He held the embrace tight as they knelt in the shallow, cool water of the stream.

He had absolutely no idea what he was doing. He should be checking his weapons or the horizon, or anything else but just holding a fellow shinobi, who was breaking several of the code rules at once, in the middle of a stream.

And yet this seemed like the right thing to do.

He shut his eyes and let some of the weariness he felt take hold as well, that was more comfortable as well. He sank to his knees and barely noticed the extra coolness from the stream.

There was a snivel as Anko finished crying for the most part.

"You used it's chakra to scare the one-tails into turn around. That's just scary."

"I've never used the chakra before, and I wasn't sure it would work."

She laughed a quiet wet laugh.

"You're just not real are you?"

"I'm a ghost."

"How do you manage your curse?"

"A very large a complicated seal matrix. What's your curse?"

She drew back the top of her coat to reveal her upper back. There was a dark mark there, like a tattoo in the shape of a seal.

"Cursed seal. Put on me by my bastard of a former sensei. He cursed me and threw me away when I couldn't live up to his expectations."

"Oh."

That sounded logical to him, at least ignoring the cursed sealing part of a comrade. He realised he should feel disgusted by the idea, but he was a little too pragmatic.

"I have a seal that depends on my will to keep it in check. But if I get angry or stressed it hurts and I want to kill everyone."

"Oh. Everything's going to be acceptable."

She looked into his single visible eye.

"Acceptable?"

He sought for the word he really meant. It wasn't acceptable, that word was wrong. He was talking to a friend. He sought everything he'd ever heard and found something.

"Everything is going to be fine."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

He gave a slight tightening of the embrace and her body relaxed. The mark seemed to shrink a little.

"Thank you."

Her voice was little more than a whisper. There was silence and she began to chuckle again. Her normal chuckle.

"You know, we'll get hypothermia if we stay in this stream much longer. Talon would make fun of us if we got hypothermia on a mission to Suna."

"It would be odd, yes."

There was a relieved laugh from the Konoha side of the stream.

"Good thing I know how you two would have got it then."

Talon landed, followed by a large group of ANBU.

"Too late Talon-kun, the One-Tails has already reformed and is currently out there in the desert."

"Did they seal it?"

"No."

"And the Kage-candidate?"

"Last seen attacking it."

"Dead?"

"Most likely, tailed beasts are tricky opponents."

Talon relaxed a little, and Pig sighed from behind him.

"So wait, you mean to say you dragged half the barracks out on an emergency run to the border just so we could hear that Lion and Anko had done it all already?"

"It appears so Pig."

There was some chuckling from Hare.

"But as Lion would tell us, our backup was necessary and logical right?"

"Correct Hare-san."

The man nodded. Talon started directing ANBU to watch the border. When he was done, he turned to Anko and Naruto.

"You two need rest, stay on the border then make your way home tomorrow. Hare, check any injuries they have."

That was a welcome order. After a brief check-up, Naruto found a tree with a suitably wide branch, and slumped down in preparation for a crash sleep. Something forced itself in next to him.

"I need a pillow Darkie-kun."

Anko rested her head on his, such was the height difference, and fell asleep almost instantly. Naruto considered switching with something before deciding not to bother. He would have made this an observance of his at the time, but he crashed into as deep a sleep as he allowed himself on missions.

Besides, she was a comfortable pillow as well.

* * *

_A/N _

_So the Nine-tails emerges at last, at least a little. _

_On a different note, I'm beginning to realise I cannot write fast enough to keep this update rate up. Despite starting with a 50k odd buffer, I'm down to something closer to 25k, which is only so many chapters._

_I really want to keep updating at the current rate (every three days unless I muck the timings up), but at the same time refuse to rush and write substandard stuff._

_So, I'd welcome people's views on whether they'd prefer shorter (somewhere in the region of 1.5-2k words) chapters at the same rate, or similar length chapters spaced further apart (maybe 5 days to a week). Hopefully I won't need to do this, but if I come up to a bit that needs real thought (say, taking out an Akatsuki member) and fall behind, I won't be able to keep up the current rate._

_Review, PM, or anonymously rage at me as required._


	27. Euphoria

The office was quiet when the window creaked open from the outside. Jiraiya slipped into the office with practised ease.

Tsunade was sat behind her desk; a dish of sake sat half finished on her desk as she read a report. She looked up as he entered, smiling a little at the sight of her old team-mate and friend.

"What's the word? Although I get the feeling this isn't going to be good news."

"There's good and bad. Although I'm not sure about the good. I'm not even sure which is which."

She put down the report she was reading and sighed.

"Hit me with it Jiraiya."

"Suna is...in pieces. The vast majority of its forces no longer exist, and its Daimyo is resisting making a call for aid and an immediate ceasefire on humanitarian grounds."

She slammed her fist gently on the desk. It shook violently. Gentle for her was the equivalent of a hammer blow.

"Idiot. He would cling to power whilst his people suffer."

"Sadly so. The Hidden Village suffered severe damage at the hands of the One-Tails. But the beast has been stopped and captured."

His face indicated this wasn't good news.

"How?"

"Akatsuki. The same group that was encountered looking for Naruto before you arrived. Apparently they came in and defeated the best for Suna, but nobody knows the details. Looks like nobody witnessed the battle, or if they did, they were killed."

"Tell me more about them."

"They don't talk to Konoha. My spies tell me they are a powerful group of shinobi doing missions for the money. Any mission. Possibly missing nin in a group. I did give you this information."

Her eyes briefly lingered on the huge pile of unread documents in her in-tray. Even so, the story beggared belief.

"They just took a tailed beast?"

"Yes."

"And nobody in Suna thought to ask where they were taking it?"

"They had no choice. Currently they have no elite shinobi to speak of. It was hand it over or die."

She couldn't really blame them. Short term survival instincts tended to act over long term questions about intentions.

"Dire indeed. Find out more about this group. If they want the tailed beasts, that means Konoha will be in danger in the future."

"Hai."

"Oh, and come back safely. Goodness knows who would take your place."

"Someone would have to continue my books I guess."

She laughed quietly.

"Get going Jiraiya-kun."

"Hai Hokage-sama."

He left. Tsunade thought back to Naruto. He was in danger. She would have to talk to him when he returned from the border. From the messenger birds sent back to her, he was apparently being forced back at a controlled pace by Hare, who didn't want him overexerting himself.

* * *

The next morning she found him and Anko in front of her desk, giving a report of the mission. It was a bit of a headache. She knew that Anko could be impetuous but hadn't expected it from Naruto. He was a thinker, a method shinobi. He wasn't supposed to do this.

"So when it started reforming you both just jumped at the chance to enact your plan?"

She rubbed her head in her hands as she tried to fathom the story she had just heard. It had to be a story; it was just so totally out of regulation for Konoha shinobi. Anko didn't look the least perturbed.

"Well, yes. But it worked, and Suna is now..."

"Destroyed. Its shinobi forces shattered, it's civilians either dead or scattered in refuge in the borderlands between itself and Iwa. How many dead do you think Anko?"

She looked away from Tsunade's gaze.

"You were far too effective. The saving grace is that Konoha cannot be connected to the near destruction of Suna. But even so, if I'd known this would have happened, I would not have sent you. I did not wish to end up killing so many."

Naruto spoke.

"We were at war, death is a given during war."

"Really Naruto? Did we need to be at war? Could we not have just tried to negotiate with them, secured promises from them? There was a precarious balance between the five nations, and now one of the them is gone. The consequences will take some time to pan out."

"Then we will be ready when the time comes."

"We will. Now, I've got both your written reports. One is neatly written, standard and is pretty normal, aside from some whining about lack of dango. One of these gives an altogether more exciting read, and plenty of detailed description."

Anko stared at Naruto.

"I didn't know you could write."

"I can, I just like the details."

"Can I see it?"

Tsunade passed the report sheets over to her. Anko began to read aloud.

_"My crossbow kicked into my shoulder with the assurity that comes from knowing the bolt is going to fly true. Sure enough, the seal artist, engaged in holding the beast in its chains, fell as the impact smashed into his skull and the sand ran red briefly before being absorbed into the swirling mass._

_The earth shook with great magnitude, my body shaking with it. I rolled into the sand as the stormy pillar expanded and took the bodies in a death grip, dragging them into the turning melee of sand. I can only anticipated their mass was added to that of the beast, speeding up its reformation, their chakra added to its own._

_I had to move, taking up from the cover I lay in I began to run, skidding through the sand..."_

"That's enough Anko, I read it as well."

There was a disappointed noise from the doorway of the office, and Shizune poked her head round the door.

"Sorry, can...can I read it when you're done with it?"

Tsunade sighed. This was going to become a problem no matter what she did. Shizune began walking away.

"If only my stupid teammate had as much literary sense, I'd have married him and gambled his fortunes away."

Shizune's head reappeared in the doorway.

"What?"

"Nothing Shizune."

The woman withdrew her head from the doorway. Tsunade drummed her fingers together, clearly deep in thought.

"Hmm, I need an assumed name."

Anko considered for a moment. Was her boss about to do what she thought she was going to do?

"Why?"

"For him. I'm going to start publishing his stuff, with a subtle delay."

"Sounds like a money making scheme that is extremely morally grey Hokage-sama."

The grin on Anko's face showed she did not care about any moral issues associated with this action. Tsunade smiled back.

"20% cut?"

"30% and a note thanking me for being an inspiration in each. Oh, and executive decision over the colour of the books."

"Obvious an assumed name for you as well, but otherwise I agree. Provided it isn't orange like my pervert team-mate's books."

"Fine. Deal."

Naruto watched the exchange, somewhat unable to grip the situation.

"So you intend to publish my mission reports, sell them, and make a profit out of them? Isn't that against regulations?"

"I make the regulations kid. I think your reports could make you a lot of money, considering you get a 35% cut."

"Money means nothing to me. Find a better use for it."

Tsunade's surprise was clear to all. She dropped the report onto her desk. She looked at him to see if he was joking despite knowing he probably wasn't.

"Hospitals? Academy? Anything else that needs improvement?"

"The food at the orphanages is terrible; at least it was from my experience. Otherwise I'm sure you can find proper uses. Can I go now?"

"Yes."

He left, and Anko started rubbing her hands, thoughts of dango deep in her head.

"Now Anko, we need a name for you and him. And a title for the stories."

They smiled wide grins.

"I think I have just the name in mind."

* * *

Naruto sat in meditation in his room.

The darkness, slightly lit by the few cracks of light that could get in from the door was comforting to him.

His slow breathing was the only quiet noise in the room as he reflected and regathered his thoughts.

He was in control. That was what was important. No more of the chakra in his system, no more visions of the darkness and her face. He was feeling free.

He ran his hand over the cover of the book which had been sent to him, and left as a package on the doorstep. He hadn't bothered to read the title, or look at the colour. He just knew what it was already.

He idly wondered whether anyone would ever read the books. Why would people want to read about his missions anyway? There was nothing special about them. His reports were merely written in such a style because it was less dull than writing the blunt facts.

When had he ever cared about dull? When had he started caring?

He ruffled his brow as he concentrated and came to his conclusion.

It had been when he had woken up at the Root barracks. He remembered the cell, the single cell with bare walls and characterlessness. He looked around his apartment. It was barely visible, yet he knew it. He had changed it in the dead of night. It was _his_. _He'd_ modified the roof to shift under weight and _he_ had installed the traps in the lock mechanism.

He'd never had this in Root. He'd never wanted it. But it was good. There was so much that being in Root had never offered and he'd never had. It was confusing. He was better than others his age, he could have been something very different, he was happy with who he was.

Happy?

When had he ever been happy?

Since he had come into the light. He felt like standing and shouting it. He didn't. It would be stupid of him. He felt it though.

He walked towards the window and let a sliver of moonlight into his apartment.

The bed was revealed to have faded orange covers, and he found it ironic that he'd perceived the colour to be useless. He saw the sofa was a battered chocolate brown. He ran a hand over it, experiencing the comfort of it. He'd never felt it before like this.

Suddenly he felt he was experiencing vision and touch for the first time. Sensation flooded his body like a jolt and kept going. He felt like bouncing up and down and shouting a lot. He wanted to meet people and tell them about how awesome everything was.

That scared him a little.

He decided a trip to the rooftops was in order to calm himself down more.

He slid the window open, making sure to carefully shut the curtains to their full blackout extent and took to the night.

He found true peace only when he was doing something. He leapt freely from rooftop to rooftop, using chakra to stick onto surfaces and climb in a manner that a civilian could only dream about.

He landed on another rooftop and ducked as the blade swung at him. His own was in his hands in seconds, and he circled the figure warily. They were also dressed in black, and they hid their face as well. This wasn't normal. The last person to have tracked him successfully was the Hokage. He had an inkling as to who this was.

He leapt off the roof backwards onto another roof and began to run. The sound of feet landing softly behind him told him his assailant wasn't giving up too easily.

He increased his pace, jinking and making clones to peel off as he went. The person was following him unerringly. He realised they were as skilled at this as he was. The feeling like he was staring down the One-Tails came back to him in a flash. The feeling he'd got when he'd entered combat with the Suna jonin back during the invasion. He was outmatched and had to find a way to even the odds.

He landed then spun, sending his sword out in an arc before him. The figure, already in flight was forced to twist awkwardly, using a wind burst to push themselves upwards. Naruto leapt back across and spun again.

His opponent didn't move. Then they lowered their own hood.

"Naruto."

"Danzo-sama."

He jumped back across the rooftop to greet his old master.

"Your skills remain sharp, indeed, you have gained new ones. Such improvisation is a welcome sight. It is like training you once again."

"Thank you my Lord."

"Yet you were slow to run, and I sense you enjoyed the chase too much. You're changing into something different to what I created."

"I...understand what he meant about having things I didn't have. Root trained me to become the best at what I do. Yet...since I came into the light those months ago, I have learned of new things. People are so...complex. Inaccurate. Unpredictable yet predictable. They are a mystery that I only slightly understand. Their interactions, their emotions. They are all different and yet somewhat the same. They are a puzzle. They are...interesting."

"Understanding people is a useful skill, I would encourage it."

"Yet...friendship? What of friendship?"

His old masters face hardened with a faraway look.

"It can lead to pain, and yet it can drive you. Perhaps my relationship with the late Hokage was friendship, perhaps it was not. It was not something I ever had. It clouds the mind. I was comfortable with him and trusted him, but now I know that that was weakness."

"I believe it could have other effects, beneficial ones."

"Be cautious. Just as with Lady Tsunade. She does not understand the darkness. Trust nobody."

"I understand."

"Be careful Naruto. Be cautious. You are the shadow in the light, and you must remain that way. You are the ghost that hides in the night,"

"Hai."

Danzo turned and began to walk slowly away. He turned back briefly.

"I almost wish that I had never given you away."

Danzo leapt down into the streets and made his way away, presumably to a Root base somewhere.

Naruto pondered his words. There was a new feeling in his head about the encounter. He had been told to trust nobody. Did that include Danzo-sama himself?

He realised he didn't understand the instruction properly.


	28. We All Fall Down

_A/N. So, it seems like yesterday I was all excited about 300 reviews...now I'm over 400. Wait what? Thanks guys, hope you enjoy this chapter. _

* * *

He moved through the forest as fast as he could, the Hokage's mission orders swirling through his head.

Sasuke had tried to flee the Leaf. He had turned traitor.

Not that the circumstances really mattered all that much. He was the target of his mission, and thus he would deal with him accordingly.

He echoed the words of the mission, given in haste and in few words.

'Kill or Capture Uchiha Sasuke, support the retrieval team in their mission. Go.'

He had no idea how the retrieval team was doing, his feet barely touching each tree before propelling him towards the border with Oto.

The circumstances were bad. An enemy that had wounded Konoha in the past was now stealing one of their shinobi. The last of a clan, and one of the brightest prospects for the next generation of shinobi.

He also had the sharingan, which was valuable.

Naruto considered what he would do with such an asset if he had a living Uchiha in his possession. The sharingan was a useful dojutsu to have in the forces of a village. It was too valuable to be lost.

He would have carefully controlled the Uchiha's movements, aiming to injure him when he hit maturity and force him to retire. From there, he could rebuild the clan. Eventually, given enough generations of careful care, the Uchiha clan could be rebuilt within Konoha.

Still, it was unimportant. It was likely that if the defection was of his own volition, he would be forced to kill his target. He would be a difficult target to kill.

Hopefully he wouldn't be needed. He didn't know who the retrieval team was, but the right shinobi with the right jutsu could do it. He'd see Sasuke fight before. His style was showy and fast, relying on taijutsu and powerful ninjutsu.

He could beat him, and certainly another like him with the skills to do it could as well.

There was a crash from a few hundred metres ahead of him, and he activated the Byakugan to scan it. There was one signature lying next to a rapidly fading one. He sped up to see who was who.

From a higher branch, he saw the remaining signature weak, but it was a Konoha shinobi who he hadn't met before. The swirls of the cheeks were testament to his being an Akimichi, but he had defeated his larger opponent.

He had to keep moving, he felt a pang of regret that he couldn't provide medical aid but more backup would be coming in time.

He passed another fight, and saw a familiar signature fighting another who was circling around him. Neji was fighting his opponent, and his signature was suddenly upon his opponent's one.

He passed on, Neji would not desire his help, and may not have needed it. Stopping too long would compromise his mission.

He kept moving, once more feeling sadness at not being able to help a comrade, even one such as Neji.

He felt the lactic acid in his legs begin to burn with every stride. He ignored it. His mission demanded it, and he would face any pain. He would face death if he had to.

He ran through potential scenarios in his head. Could he ambush Sasuke if he got ahead of him? Would it be possible to fire into a fight with a fellow shinobi safely?

He suddenly paused, his vision hearing an odd noise to his left. He saw the waves of sound expanding and weakening as they emanated from a single point.

He felt his vision blur a little. He dispelled the genjutsu that was distracting him as he kept moving. Whoever they were fighting would have to be alone. He had no idea who was fighting, or whose genjutsu it was. Firing at them would distract him and delay his catching of Sasuke. He pressed on. Three comrades he couldn't help. He couldn't even make a shadow clone because he would likely need the chakra.

His legs continued to burn with near agony as the toll of the journey began to take effect. His breathing hurt and he knew he was dehydrated from the hours of running. Sweat was drenching his clothing, but he knew he had to keep going.

Eventually, a burst of chakra ahead caught his attention, followed by a second burst. There was a fight up ahead that almost glowed with chakra. He sped up, forcing his legs to push on further.

The trees were thinning ahead, leading to a small, rocky path. He kept to the edge of it, seeing the valley spread out before him. He turned off his Byakugan. He wouldn't need it to try and follow this fight.

Two figures were in the valley below. One, wreathed in a golden figure that encased him. He was watching an impact sight at the base of the valley.

Then darkness exploded outwards from the cave straight at the golden figure. Black lightning met a glowing fist and was knocked aside, but the golden figure was pushed backwards. The grey figure dropped the black lightning from its grip, and rose up on leathery wings that emerged from its back.

He activated his Byakugan to see what was happening. The two jutsu, whatever they were, that the two fighters were employing were powerful. They were chakra heavy, and showy. And he realised if anyone came against him with one he would be in serious trouble were he spotted. He felt the urge to run.

The two figures, leather winged and gold encased were fighting now, the movements blinding, impacts causing shockwaves that he could feel from where he lay.

He wasn't really hiding anymore. There was something too captivating about this fight. He knew one of the figures was Sasuke, and that he was the leather winged figure. The lightning jutsu gave that away too much.

The other though. He wasn't sure who it was. The jutsu was one he'd never heard described before. He felt he'd seen it before.

The two were still battling though. The golden chakra around the warrior who fought Sasuke took the impacts from the winged figure, who dodged each of the blows that were sent his way.

He couldn't hear anything over the impacts and the sound of the water rushing below the fighter's feet. He was sure they were shouting. He kept watching, alternating between Byakugan vision and normal vision.

He readied his bow, ready to take a shot at Sasuke if it presented itself.

The fight continued. Naruto found himself wrapped up in the contest. He slowed his breathing to try and control the trembling.

The golden figure fought with all its might, landing blows on the dark figure, which twisted and danced around it.

But the fight couldn't last forever. The two figures broke apart and came at each other once final time. A spear of dark lightning pierced the chest of the golden giant, and the cry of pain echoed around the valley.

A horribly familiar cry of pain. A cry he'd heard before.

The golden light faded from around the body of the brown haired genin, a hole in his chest visible where Sasuke's hand had been pushed through it. The figure around it was trying to stand, but a second stab of lightning saw the resistance crumble.

It was Baka. Anyone but him.

Sasuke tossed the body up out of the valley, and he landed badly, bouncing and skidding with the sound of broken bones, before the winged figure landed up after him, grabbing his collar again, raising him up with a pained expression on his face.

Naruto realised he should shoot. Baka was basically dead; he could shoot through him to kill Sasuke. He could.

His squeezed his finger and didn't feel the bow kick into his shoulder. He did so again. And again. He realised there was no resistance to his finger movement. It wasn't on the trigger. It squeezed empty air.

He took hold of the bow again carefully. Sasuke was hesitating, holding the boy aloft and staring at his beaten form.

He tried to fire again and found he couldn't. His finger somehow lacked the strength to pull back the well oiled trigger.

Anyone but him. Nearly anyone else and he would have fired. Anyone else. He couldn't hurt his friend.

The wet sizzle as the lightning jutsu slammed through Baka again. He couldn't watch. He wiped his hand across his face to wipe away the rain water that clouded his eyes. But it hadn't been raining.

He forced himself to focus. His legs were nearly cramping after the exertion they had been through. Sasuke was still attacking Baka, who couldn't make a noise, or move. The blood was soaking into the ground. A light drizzle began to fall.

He focused, staring only at Sasuke. He shut his normal eye, using only the Byakugan to guide him.

Baka was slumped in Sasuke's grip, bleeding heavily. Naruto steadied his finger on the trigger and prepared to fire.

He cursed his angle. Sasuke was holding the limp body such that it covered all his vital areas. Naruto felt a pang of annoyance that he couldn't manipulate chakra to add more punch to the bolt.

He tightened his grip as he saw Baka's head somehow rise. There was the faint movement of lips. He read the lips and his grip subconsciously tightened a little too much as he understood the words.

The bolt flew true as always, and for once he wished he'd missed.

It impacted on Baka's head, and ran through towards Sasuke. The jolt of impact twisted Sasuke enough that the bolt hit his shoulder. The boy yelled in pain, but was too spent to search for a target.

Naruto gripped his tanto blade and prepared to move forwards to try and finish the job when a newcomer landed next to Sasuke.

Bony growths off the mans arm were filled with chakra, and it was clear this man was a threat he couldn't face. They looked exhausted and injured, but the fact they had been in a fight and then found Sasuke again meant he was a danger Naruto couldn't face.

He tried to get a better angle but his targets were moving away, the other man watching behind him, arms spread wide to cover Sasuke's retreat. He couldn't get the shot. He hadn't killed his target.

They started kept moving towards the border and Naruto felt anger.

He had killed Baka. Killed him on a low percentage shot. He could have waited, maybe Sasuke would have let him survive somehow, and maybe backup could have arrived.

He pushed the emotion back into the recesses of his head, ignoring the weak snarl of anger he could feel from his stomach.

There was no time now. Sasuke had an escort, and he couldn't make any more shots with the watchful man's presence.

His mission orders were clear. Capture or kill.

He summoned his aching limbs to carry him onwards in pursuit, and, through the pain, carried himself off after the two. He would complete his mission.

* * *

The rain fell hard as Kakashi landed near the valley.

He barely felt the weight of the rain over the weight of the urgency he carried. His two students, one a prodigy who he couldn't control and one who had grown on him over time, had fought. He knew it to be true. The devastation in the valley below bore the hallmarks of a hard fought battle.

After all, when he'd heard of the oath to bring Sasuke back, he knew it would come to that. His student would have fought until he died to try.

He saw the hunched form in the rain and knew the truth immediately. He ran anyway, hoping that this wasn't as bad as it looked.

Up close, even the hard rain hadn't washed away the blood and splatter fully. He lifted the broken body up in his arms, and stared at the injuries.

His chest was a ruin, ripped apart and cauterised by lightning. He felt the pain that a jutsu he had given to Sasuke was used on another of his students. He felt the broken nature of the bones and saw the bruised and cut flesh.

The thing that hurt him most was the wound to his head. It wasn't the largest injury, it wasn't the most bloody. But it was one he knew had been caused by a Konoha shinobi. He knew which had done it.

"Naruto...what have you done?"

He felt the tear fall from his eye as he accepted the truth. He even knew where Naruto had gone.

Any other shinobi would know when the game was up, when the target had escaped and returned. They would know when to stop the mission.

Naruto wasn't any other shinobi. Naruto would keep going until the mission was done or he was dead.

Then there was a darker thought. Had Naruto been in collusion with Sasuke? He knew he couldn't just discount the theory, but everything within him fought it. He knew others might take that view in the end as well. There would be those who blamed everyone else. Hopefully Tsunade would know the truth of the matter.

He began the long journey back to Konoha, holding the body of his student in his arms. As he entered the forest again, he took a last fleeting look back towards the valley, and the direction where the ghost had gone.

* * *

He crawled into the ventilation shaft quickly and quietly. Sliding into the small metal vent, he pulled himself forwards. He grabbed the string and pulled the cover back over the hole, hearing it click back into place perfectly.

He allowed himself to breathe again.

The heavy clatter of feet on the floors around him beat through the walls and vibrated the structure of the ventilation ducts.

There were voices, shouting loudly. He heard the door to the storage room he had left via slam open against the wall.

"He went this way!"

"He hasn't, there is no trace of him. Even bloody Karin can't sense him anywhere."

"I swear I saw him!"

"Everyone says that. I said that. It's a ghost. It has to be a fucking ghost. There isn't anyone here."

"But...she can sense him sometimes!"

"The girl is a nutcase."

"The boy knows he's here!"

"That Uchiha traitor is paranoid. The girl is just trying to impress him. You've seen how she looks at him."

"But..."

"No buts. Tell Kabuto that our search found nothing and prepare for the beating we will surely receive, even though there cannot be anyone here."

The door moved shut again, and he kept crawling along the ducts. He could feel pain aching his entire body. The recycled air in the ducts was warm and humid, and he could feel the sweat soaking his clothes again.

How many days had he been in the base? How many weeks? When had he last slept?

The seal had been ramped up to its full extent, cutting off almost all his chakra. He'd had to. Night one he'd discovered a powerful sensor had been visiting the base whilst he'd been there, and she simply hadn't left. That wasn't also to include the S-ranked missing-nin he'd physically seen walking through his base.

He crawled through the ducts. He'd memorised them. They were the base to his mind, the gratings that separated him from the other tunnels and rooms were merely some other dimension.

He found the spot where his home was. It was his home now.

The underground base had a small point where the ventilation shaft touched the rock it was carved into. He pushed aside the cover and crawled into the small opening.

The soft dripping of groundwater was somewhat calming away from the echoes of the tunnels. He collected one of the bottles he had stolen from the kitchens in the base from where it was filling with water that slowly dripped.

He drank, feeling the cool refreshment. It was the best feeling he'd had all day. The water wasn't great, but it was better than nothing.

He reflected on his target. They were extremely well protected. They would have to be poisoned. It didn't matter too much if he was around afterwards, but it did matter that Sasuke died. That had been his mission. Retrieval was not an option.

He knew he had to poison Sasuke. He had to do it within three years. He had to do it knowing the protection he had.

He drew out the textbook and set it next to the candle he'd stolen from another storage cupboard that hadn't been guarded. He needed the light to read.

He realised he needed to write a report on this as well, but the pad of paper he'd been using was nearly full. He resolved to steal more paper and pens to be ready for it when it happened.

Even though the words didn't yet have meaning to him, Naruto felt two burning desires urge him onwards.

He would have his vengeance.

He would have his atonement.

* * *

_It was going so well wasn't it? It didn't like writing this bit because it hurt a little but it had to happen._

_I think this is where I'll have to slow my updating rate a little to one every five days (at least once a week! I promise this upon my sword!). The later chapters are proving...tricky. I had to scrap about two thousand words I deemed unsatisfactory and rethink the first bit fight scene of the next part, so we'll see how it goes eh?_


	29. Report Extract 59

_A/N So...about those longer chapters? I'm making a small uploading change for the next three chapters. They'll be uploaded every other day to bridge the gap between this and the next part. I think it makes more sense to upload them this way. Don't worry, we'll be back to more substantial chapters every five days soon enough._

_Also I've written a bit on my profile about contrivance (a lot of you mentioned it) and explaining a little more about how I operate with it. Please PM responses for it as opposed to reviews (I want reviews to be reviews and not just commenting on other stuff!)_

* * *

_**'Report update 59.**_

_I saw the head of the chef bounce off the kitchen floor in a shower of blood, and cowered away with the rest of the cooking staff. _

_"That...that is what happens to anyone else who feeds the Uchiha substandard food. Has Lord Orchimaru made himself entirely clear?"_

_I mumbled my apologies with the rest of the staff, imitating their tone and posture as best I could. It was the talking of men who want no attention._

_"He spent a few hours vomiting yesterday, missing out on important training. You realise, of course, how important that boy is? How his nutrition must be perfectly balanced? How his health must be perfect? And then," he gestured to the headless corpse on the ground, "someone decides not to check on the meat they were cooking and just declared it ready. Do not make the same mistake. Lord Orochimaru will not hesitate to clean house entirely."_

_Another mumbled round of apologies was offered._

_"Excellent. Now, back to work before the Uchiha's nutrient balance degenerates further. Even a day of sub-optimal nutrition will cause Lord Orochimaru grief."_

_The white haired man wiped the sword clean on the dead chef's apron before leaving the room as if nothing had happened._

_The chefs all moved back to work. I helped stir some things before disappearing quietly from sight. I ponder the poor mens' plight. Each of them had once owned a restaurant somewhere in the Land of Rice before its takeover. Each had been a master to many lower chefs, in charge. Proud of what they did. They occasionally talk of it with sadness in their eyes._

_Then the Daimyo requested they help the national cause. Some had answered; some had had to be persuaded by more forcible means. In the end, none of them could say no. Those that did stopped breathing._

_Now they helped feed the small army of Sound shinobi, and prepared food for Orchimaru and his Elite. It is a thankless task, as the smallest infringement leads to severe punishment. The number of replacement legs are testament to that._

_I slipped into a storage cupboard and undid the henge I'd been wearing for the days. At least I've eaten better these last days. The other chefs will assume I've made a mistake and been given a private visit in the night. That I'd been 'taken care of'. I know now that means that I have been killed._

_A lucky glance at a calendar had told me I've been in the base for some time. A substantial length of time. This report, written on pad four of the report, involved an update on the previously mentioned test for the catalyst I have been cultivating within the target._

_The test, involving a small quantity of uncooked meat I slipped into the dish whilst serving it, caused the desired affects. The uncooked protein strands interacted with the catalyst which was in his intestinal system extremely well, causing him sickness and vomiting comparable to normal food poisoning. This is a clear sign that the catalyst has formed within him. It also confirms that Kabuto does not suspect this was anything but a bout of poor cooking._

_Step three of the poison plan is now complete. Snakes are renowned for their cunning and schemes, yet I feel my plan is working. I am scheming to beat another schemer; it is like a literal game of Shogi. There is still work to do._

_The rush the chefs carry about their daily business with is astounding, yet they are very much singular. They do not notice, or if they do they do not speak of it, if their number changes day by day, mentally uniformed by the regime operated by Orochimaru. _

_It is a strong regime, one that allows no contact with others. Infringement is punished immediately, and thus no rebellion can grow. His wide array of sensors and spies, which I believe to include specialists and summons, make sure nothing escapes his notice within his bases._

_But it has a flaw. The security is watertight, but there is one problem. He does not expect or suspect that a shinobi could infiltrate his base. He does not know of my presence._

_I must be careful. The drum of feet on the floors around me is constant. The whir of the air ventilation dull and monotonous. I have not seen the sun. I am the ghost in the dark._

_The faces remain with me.'_


	30. Report Extracts 285 & 453

_**'Report update 285**_

_They nearly found me. Their movement through the ventilation system is ugly and inefficient, but nearly effective. Where it not for their inexperience at doing so I would have been trapped and forced to use force for my mission for the first time. I find it odd that despite this being the longest mission I have undertaken, I have only fired one shot during it._

_I regret that one shot even now, and wish I had not. I reflect on it whenever I see my bow and wonder what would have happened if I had not fired it. He would likely still have died, but even so. I realise now how many mistakes I made, but I find two streams of mistakes._

_My logical brain says I should have moved, should have got a better angle, should have shot into the fight when I could. I was too busy watching the fight to see what was happening. My old training tell me I should never have got so close to someone._

_With the seventh stage of the plan completed, I find myself wishing more and more that time would pass faster. This is a problem I have not had before, but with every day I feel it more and more. They are coming. They could find me. I know the probability is slim, but my calculations show the cumulative chance is...bad._

_They will not. I am a ghost, and I have learned new tricks whilst I have been here. My stealth before seems almost apologetic and clumsy._

_Attached to the report is a small treatise on the henge jutsu, stating it's tactics in evasion and disguise. I have had to make new ones, and they have been difficult. I have lowered the chakra required so I am not detected so easily._

_The guards speak more and more of the ghost in the night. I must evade patrols and time all my movement through the base extremely well. Whilst holding a henge is suitable for disguise as a shinobi, it leaves me open to detection by sensor._

_I long to activate my Byakugan, knowing that not using it will lead to my prowess with it diminishing. Yet I cannot. Such usage would see me detected._

_Time is immaterial. Day or night, I know not. I miss the sun. I find it ironic. I used to dislike the sun, knowing that seeing it meant I was in the light. After this much time...I miss the sun. I miss the wind. I miss the rain. I miss the night. I miss the conversations with Baka. I miss the other genin my age._

_I must continue to fight these thoughts. Their faces sometimes speak to me at night. One screams my name and curses with the voices of the guards. Her bloodstained face demands mine, demands I give myself to them in surrender._

_A second merely screams, leading me to wake up coated in cold sweat. I am thankful her visits are rare and short._

_The last is quiet until the first is silent, and then tells me of forgiveness. She speaks to me with no malice. She is kind. I long for this face. I long to see it night after night. _

_I do not know my own. My hair I have cut with kunai to keep it short and I feel the beginnings of facial hair beginning to form. My age is becoming apparent. I must still be short as I have not eaten properly for some time. Nor slept._

_I...finattir...fael_

_I find that tiredness nearly overtakes me sometimes. I cannot give in. I cannot._

_If I do, they will find me. _

_They are coming, but they will not find me._

_Sleep will claim me soon._

_I hope it is the desired face.'_

* * *

_**'Report update 453**_

_I have gained a summoning contract. _

_I was lucky in the way I found it, locked away in a deep vault after a vigilant pair of guards nearly found me. I was forced to escape deeper into the base to evade them._

_The darkness swallowed me as I found the room. The lock was surprisingly easy to pick, almost as if the combinations were familiar. Given Orochimaru once worked with my former master, I cannot be overly surprised their bases are similar. You don't draw attention to a vault of secrets after all. It remains hidden, a dark corner where nobody looks._

_I spent two days in that vault, searching it for things of use. In the end, I found it in a dark corner, seemingly abandoned there. I would say it called to me, but in truth I was lucky to have seen it._

_The Rat contact. Not a noble animal, but one best suited to my needs. They are quick, they find holes in places, and they will fight when cornered. I feel an odd kinship with them._

_They do not speak much. I signed the contract with a sense of curiosity, my blood forming my name on the paper. I realised it had been so long since I had heard or read my own name, it was alien._

_I am fortunate that they are small. Summoning them takes little chakra, and they are hiders by nature. The contract has few names on it, all of them crossed off. They are either dead or broke the contract._

_I summoned their leader, and we spoke in the dark. He felt our kinship as keenly as I did and accepted me._

_I can now have eyes and ears all around the base. I will respect them, and they will help me._


	31. Report Extract 663 Homecoming

_**'Report update 663**_

_The mission may be done. I will only know when I hear of the result. _

_However, the cost may be dire._

_With the tenth stage complete, and all parts of the dose prepared, I henged once more into the clothes and manner of a chef. I do not know how long it took, only that I finally managed to feed him his dose._

_In truth, it was a stroke of luck that I managed to do so, he had returned from a mission. He struck me and other staff as he demanded his food. I gave it to him with trembling hands. He mistook my excitement for fear. His arrogance was his undoing._

_Excitement. I have not felt that in so long. It felt good. He ate the food and left. I could only hope. I was trembling badly._

_I knew this was something I should have made a shadow clone for, but it was too risky. Sensed and it was the end of my plan, the wastage of a year. Yet more importantly I had to do this myself._

_I had to see him take the dose with my own eyes._

_I had to know the feeling of victory even as he was unaware of his defeat._

_The hours were the longest I've known, even in this dark place. This dark place of waiting. I have spent day after day trapped in my hidey-hole, waiting and listening. Dodging guards, hiding from sensors, suppressing my chakra. The ache of the seal is still as strong as it was the first day, and its shackles are wearing on me._

_But I was successful. I have not seen the body, and shall not do so before leaving this place, but I know the effects have begun. I have other eyes who will confirm for me. There can be no chance of his survival. As I write, his body should be filling itself with toxin as fast as they try to treat him. He should have died within moments if they did not treat him instantly. I have won the long game, or at least played my final moves._

_I did not know until it happened._

_He stormed into the kitchens himself. The great fear, the one we all feared so much. Orochimaru himself came to us._

_The wall was destroyed, and we all found ourselves shivering. I have not known a feeling like it. I was fighting harder than I ever had to stay silent, to curse the man whose plan I had foiled over so long._

_I had to remain controlled, had to act my part until the last moment._

_He and his guards raged. The kitchen was destroyed in his fury, and he then began the cull. Again, I was lucky I was not first._

_I had time to create and substitute with a shadow clone. It took me so long to do the jutsu, forming every sign behind my back with as much control as possible, trying to give off as little chakra as I could._

_She felt the chakra._

_She was behind them all in the doorway, but she felt the discharge._

_I escaped into the vents, and I saw them drag the clone away as his henge was thrown away from him. He is not dead. Their love of torture will ensure that. Eventually though, my control will slip and they shall know I live. I must escape before then._

_My summons will give me the word on my success. They are good at finding secrets._

_I head an expression once, whilst waiting for my first mission with Anko-chan, a name that is almost unfamiliar now. Two guards played cards, and one chuckled as he took money from the other. I did not understand card games at the time, but my time with the chefs taught me the basics._

_"You played your hand too soon, and I capitalised."_

_The other derided his luck, yet the first that spoke had some merit. My hand is played, and I must escape before they realise it and capitalise on it. Otherwise they will find me. He will rip the base apart. I will finish the report when I have seen the sun._

_Her face came to me again. She smiled for the first time in all my dreams.'_

* * *

Team 8 moved along the Northern border. It was another routine mission for the chunin teams now that the border with Suna was almost an irrelevant area. Oto was the new threat, even if it hadn't attacked.

Hinata scanned the area all around with her Byakugan as her teammates did their own checks. There wasn't anything. There never really was.

She sighed to herself. This was the last mission. She'd tried without him being there. She'd tried. She'd talked to everyone and they'd all done their best to keep her going. She'd managed to pass a chunin exam somehow, although she suspected the competition hadn't been very strong.

Just without his smile, without his constant encouragement, without his sunshine smile.

She couldn't do this anymore. She couldn't keep being a shinobi. She'd cried over his body, his broken body. She'd held onto it regardless of the wounds and the blood when Kakashi had come into the village in the pouring rain. She'd cried for days. She hadn't been able to make it to the funeral, and had been physically ill.

She would retire from shinobi life, then she would live out her days somehow. Maybe she'd find someone who didn't make her miserable and have children. But there wasn't hope for happiness. The past was bleak, the present was bleak, and the future was bleak. Her mood pervaded those of her team-mates who couldn't talk on the saddest of days.

She knew there wasn't anything moving with nearly a mile of her. Nothing with a chakra signature could hide from her sight. Then she heard the noise.

A scream, a man's scream. A yell of agony beyond anything she had ever heard before. The chakra exploded into life in her vision and she burst into action towards it.

She ran, ignoring her teammates cries to hold back until she knew what it was. They were in pain, and if it was a trap, she would deal with it. Death didn't matter. If this was the trap that it chose to claim her with she would welcome it willingly.

The scream intensified as she got near, now a hoarse cry that echoed in the trees. She reached the figure which thrashed wildly from side to side where it lay. It was wrapped in a tattered cloak the colour of the forest, and a ripped body glove. It was small and wiry.

She gripped its shoulders and pushed it to the ground, her hair falling down so it touched his face. She knocked the dagger the figure suddenly held out of its grasp. It stuck in the dirt by his equipment. A bag, a crossbow, another pouch. A crossbow? The figure had stopped struggling against her now, the fact she had struck its shoulders helped that. It still yelled, the sound now a loose tearing sound of agony, weakening into a panting hiss.

She pulled back the hood and saw the face. Its single visible eye was closed,the face dirty and so unwashed. His mouth was open in a now silent yell of pain before slowly closing. The face was pale, as if it hadn't seen the light for years; there were dark patches under his eyes. His face was gaunt and thin, the whisker marks on its cheeks faded almost to nothing. For a moment it was still after the scream stopped. The visible eye opened.

She saw hair, cut in the dark in thick matted locks, his face had a scraggly beard on it which would have been comedic if he wasn't in such bad shape.

The azure blue met her pale lavender eyes.

His mouth opened, and his raw voice whispered forth, a thin rasp.

"I hope you smile this time."

She smiled without being able to resist it somehow. His mouth twitched, then he fell unconscious. Kiba and Shino landed behind her and ran to meet her.

"Hinata-chan, who even is it."

"Him."

Her voice trembled a little.

"Him?"

"Him."

Her voice was quavering badly as she said it. Kiba drew in closer and took a long look at the face.

"Him?"

"Don't you recognise him?"

Kiba saw the equipment pile and looked at the face again. Then again.

"Oh. It is him. What the hell?"

"We need to get back to Konoha. Now."

"But?"

Her tone of voice was wavering, but brooked absolutely no disobedience.

"Now."

Kiba moved the body onto Akamaru's back and they set off. Mission protocol be damned, this was important. If Oto attacked she didn't care.

She would run through the night and carry him back. She needed to know. She wanted answers. He would give them to her.

He was coming home, whether he wanted to or not.

* * *

_A/N Thanks for all the reviewing and patience with this little mini series of reports. It'll be back to full and proper chapters from now on._


	32. A Glorious Return

Anko shifted excitedly as she waited outside the containment area. A high profile target had been brought into the T&I cells, and she wanted to know who it was. She wanted to know which lucky person had been given the job of interrogating him. If she had been taken off another case to do this one then it had to be something good. Not perfect, Ibiki would have taken it on then.

In a few moments, Ibiki would hopefully appear and tell her that she had the job. She licked her lips at the prospect. She would make them stew in their own fear before breaking them. She would unpick their mind. So many glorious things she could do!

She began hopping from foot to foot as she waited for the news. The harsh echoes of heavy boots on the concrete floor of the corridors made her look up.

Ibiki strolled towards her as if nothing was different in life, as if he were walking through the park on a fine summer's day.

She hopped as he got close, nearly fully jumping up and down.

"Can I have them? Can I have them? Please? Please? Please Ibiki-kun? Can I have fun now?"

"He's all yours Anko, but there is additional information you need to know before..."

"Yay! This is going to be awesome!"

Ibiki tried to grab her before she entered the doorway to the cells but she had gone too far already. He sighed. She was in for a rude shock. Still, it would teach her to listen to him first.

She bounced off a wall and came to the cell door. She peered inside. There was the silhouette of someone in the corner of the cell. A small, barred window let in a dismal amount of weak light into the room. The person was huddle up. Probably scared. That was no fun. She preferred defiance.

"Hello there...I get to play with you today! It's gonna be fun! I have so many toys to share with you!"

Her cheerful voice echoed and re-echoed off the walls of the concrete cell. The figure didn't move, not even an inch.

"Oh...you're not going to be fun?"

The only answer was her own echoing voice. She smiled. A tough guy then? Someone who thought they could block her out indefinitely? This was going to be better than she'd hoped.

"Ready or not, here comes Anko-chan."

She undid the lock and kicked the door in, allowing the metal to rebound off the cell wall as it swung round. It clattered and clanged with an apocalyptic noise. She grinned as she advanced on the lump in the corner.

She gripped it by the neck and pulled. The blanket came away and she was blinded with smoke from a bomb hidden beneath it.

She coughed. How the hell did he still have equipment on him? Surely it had all been confiscated?

There was a note where he had been. It was only one word.

_'Sorry'_

She turned and ran out of the door towards where Ibiki had been. He was still standing there.

"Quite a surprise then Anko?"

"You're not fucking kidding!"

"Look, I was going to tell you when..."

"Tell me he's fucking gone?!"

It took a lot to surprise Ibiki. This was something that had managed to. Anko realised that this was probably not a good thing.

"What?"

"He's gone and he left a smoke bomb."

"Fuck."

"Who the hell was that?"

"No time, we need to go the confiscated equipment area."

"Why?"

"Because that's exactly where he will be going."

They ran, junior torturers getting out of their way with efficient speed. If Ibiki was running, then shit was going down. As he ran, Ibiki called on everyone he could see to either get out of his way, or lock down the T&I department. They did so with speed. An escaped prisoner would cause havoc.

Ibiki's heavy boots dug a gouge into the surface of the floor as he rounded corners, metal clad soles ripping the smooth surface apart as he followed the corridors to the confiscation area.

The door was open and he powered on through.

"Guards!"

He looked at the two booths, each on opposite sides of the entrance, each a perspex box, windows two inches thick glass and a door that was locked from the insides. Both doors were open and both men unconscious.

"How the hell?"

"We may not be too late."

They split, running through the storage room. Dull overhead lights blinked occasionally as they swept the room.

Ibiki reached the storage box that should have contained his equipment. He too found his head engulfed in smoke and he became giddy. A sleep bomb?

He focused himself and shook off the weak chemical. It would take more than that to knock him out.

Anko came up alongside him and sniffed the air.

"Did he leave a sleep bomb in this one?"

"The scent is unmistakable."

Ibiki threw the empty box aside, letting the noise clatter and slam as it hit the wall. He hit the shelving for good measure, leaving a sizeable dent in the steel.

"How the hell did he do it? No one escapes their cell, sneaks through T&I and then steals back their equipment. This does not happen."

"Who is this person Ibiki?"

"Naruto."

"Oh that's just all kinds of shit. We're gonna need some ANBU."

* * *

Talon moved along the rooftops along with every ANBU that had been in the barracks when Ibiki had barrelled through the door.

Right now, they were spreading over the entire city as quietly and quickly as possible, trying not to cause a major alarm. He suspected there were going to be even more jonin up here sooner rather than later, and he wanted to get this call done first.

He knew where the house was. He knew where to look, and this time he wasn't going to bother with a quiet entry. The days where it was a game to try and get his attention and test him were long over.

He kicked through the window and twisted his body to avoid the expected crossbow bolt. There was nothing, broken glass and the curtain he had ripped off the wall were all that was on the floor. A thick layer a dust had been disturbed and blasted up into the air in the apartment.

He felt out for chakra and found nothing. That meant nothing; the boy had managed to escape T&I. He moved a quickly as he could to slam the light switch on and the apartment was revealed once more to him.

No more shadows for Naruto to hide in. The only other place was the bathroom if he could be there. He kicked the door off its hinges and hit the switch there. Nothing.

He turned right into sleep bomb and slumped onto the sofa, silently cursing the boy's brilliance as his brain shut down.

He would wake up to find a note with the word sorry written on it pinned to his jacket.

* * *

"Repeat this to me again. He escaped T&I, my ANBU captain isn't reporting and was found unconscious in the target's house, and nobody has been able to find him?"

"That is as far as we know Hokage-sama."

"Ibiki...what the hell? Is this a nightmare genjutsu you're testing on me?"

"I wish. I'd be in less trouble for it."

"Damn right."

She drank from the bottle of sake directly and deeply.

"Who is on it?"

"All of ANBU available, every Inuzuka, Aburame and Hyuuga we could discretely get into action and every elite Jonin we could find."

"And still nothing? Kami help us if he left Konoha. We caught him by chance the first time. Where is team 8?"

"You think he'll try and find them?"

"He'll try to find Hinata, if her statements are accurate and I'm guessing right."

"She should be in the Hyuuga compound. He couldn't possibly?"

"He could. Find Kakashi and let's move."

* * *

The sound of something outside her door woke her.

She hadn't really been sleeping, more a sort of half doze where her mind refused to let fully go of consciousness. She needed...answers. She wanted to be awake and doing something, not leaving it to other people.

She slipped out of bed and pulled the nightrobe around herself before slipping out of her room. There was a place for her to be.

She made no sound as she walked on the smooth wooden floors of the compound. She could see nobody else was around, and even if they had been no one would really have challenged her. Enough of them had seen her do this.

She slid open the door to the small garden at the centre of the compound. It was the place of her earliest memories.

Playing here, long ago. When life had been simple and she felt the love of her parents. Both her parents. So long ago.

She sat by the still pond at its centre, resting on the smooth flagstones that spiralled out from it like the swirls on the Konoha chunin vests. The night was still and cloudless, and she spared a glance up at the sky.

The stars spread out before her, encompassing the heavens. She could see the thin bands of distant stars sweeping out around her. She saw one of them blink quickly.

Stars did not blink.

She snapped on her Byakugan and couldn't sense any chakra signatures. She focused the vision to look for the outlines of anyone in black and white around her.

There was nothing. She must have blinked.

She shut off the vision and shook her head gently, hair sliding over her eyes before she pushed it back. She was definitely too tired to be thinking straight. Perhaps this was a dream.

If it was, it was a good dream.

She looked at the still waters and saw the reflection of the moon in them. And the face of someone else looking into her eyes via the reflection from behind her.

She nearly made a noise before the hand covered her mouth. She fought for a second before calming. He wasn't going to kill her. The hand with withdrawn slowly and she remained silent until he was seated on the other side of the pond again.

"You?"

"Yes. I needed...see your face?"

"Why? Why mine?"

"You're in...dreams. They're better...you smile."

She stared at him. This was definitely uncomfortable.

"Ano...I...I..."

He waited, impassively staring at her from under his hood. She felt a surge of anger burst from inside her at what he was doing to her. How dare he enter her compound and disturb her.

"You killed him."

The words sounded venomous but she meant it. She wanted to mean it. She wanted to be angry.

"I..."

"You killed him."

A tear fell from her face and hit the still waters of the pond. The ripples spread and distorted the images she could see, the chaotic dance of the wave interference enacting as waves bounced off the smooth rim.

"I didn't not kill him. Sasuke...used him...shield."

"You still fired."

"I didn't...want...kill."

"You still did."

"I'm...sorry."

More tears fell into the pond, the ripples growing and colliding even more, his image swirling. She felt his thin arms wrap around her gently. She allowed him a couple of seconds before she shoved him away roughly. He backed off, walking across the surface of the pond, the chakra he used to stay on its surface calming the ripples.

There was a noise at the entrance to the compound and she looked at his reflection once more, only to see that he was gone.

* * *

The pug dog sniffed carefully around, nose twitching as he smelt the smells. With a nose as sensitive as his, he could sense the trails that others left almost as if he could see them.

Right now, he was frustrated. Hinata had met him, she had talked to him. She had indicated right where he had sat and he could barely get a trace. That trace was thin and disorienting.

He growled deeply as he concentrated to pick out the trail. They were good, but his nose was better.

He set off, hearing the rest of the dog pack following in his wake, Kakashi then behind them, ready for action.

It was an odd trace; he couldn't put a colour to it like he normally could. It was a dark smell. Not black, just dark. That was off-putting.

It was a jinking trail, but it was so thin he had to follow it nearly exactly. If he was quick, then he would be able to outpace him.

He pushed his limbs onwards in the chase. A small movement caught his eye as a rat darted into an alley. He resisted the urge to chase it down. He was on a mission.

The trail then split. He cursed the fact it did so, and carried straight on. It had the best chance of finding the target, and its height was about right for a straight on run. He was annoyed to find the figure had just looped around back across its own path.

He pressed on, Kakashi and the rest of the pack following in his wake, each searching with their own senses for the target.

He rounded a corner and his smell burst into bright green agony. The target had dropped something that smelled very, very strong. Peppermint? Where had he even got that?

He coughed as the smell got more potent. The trail was completely obliterated by the peppermint smell.

Kakashi landed next to him.

"I can smell the mint from here Pakkun; I'm guessing the scent is dead."

"Pretty much, I could try picking it up outside the peppermint cloud, but I suspect he's left a second. I'm not underestimating the kid. He's elusive."

"Don't worry; I think direct tracking isn't going to quite work on him. We have to think this one through. You can have a rest."

"Good, my nose hurts from that smell."

The dog disappeared in a puff of smoke and Kakashi sighed. Naruto was loose in the city and he could be anywhere. There were jonin and ANBU everywhere, and he had been in the Hyuuga compound with no difficulty. Where would he have been?

What would he have talked to Hinata about? What would she tell him?

He ran for the monument. It was odd to be running there, he normally went there to relax and rest, and now he was hunting down someone who sought absolution.

He landed as the rain began to lightly fall from the sky, and approached the monument at full speed. He suspected Naruto would sense him coming anyway, stealth was useless. He was definitely faster than the boy at this stage.

The ground in front of the monument was barely disturbed, but someone had been there. Someone had sat in front of the monument and tried to read the names.

Unconsciously, Kakashi found his gaze drawn to the names he knew. He noted them quickly; there was no time to be reverential. He paused when he read the name of one of his students when he realised the full truth.

Naruto didn't know that name. He didn't know who he was going to be on trial for killing. He wanted the answers. He moved for the tower as the rain fell.

* * *

The first crash of thunder sounded as Tsunade was looking out over the city. She could see her forces sweeping the city to find one person. One elusive person.

She turned to the only other person in the room, Shikaku Nara. The jonin commander had just finished giving her an update.

"You're sure?"

"Entirely. Give it time."

She kept watching the city as the power in the room went out.

"Commander, what are the chances of a lightning strike taking out the power to the Hokage Tower?"

"Extremely low."

"How unlucky we are then?"

"Indeed."

She went back to waiting. There was the sound of silence. She turned back into the office as the lightning flashed once more, revealing the figure standing in front of her desk for the briefest of moments.

"His...name. Tell...me."

"Did you have to cut power to the tower?"

"Didn't want...light. Want...name."

"Why should I tell you? You never asked. You never asked him. Why should I tell you?"

"You...know...name."

The crossbow swung up; despite his unsteady speech his motor control was as tight as ever. The point was not moving at all, and she knew it was pointed right at her jugular.

"You think threats will work?"

There was silence.

"Why do you want to know his name? He was precious to me, like the son I didn't have. He was the living embodiment of two people I loved, and now he is dead just like them. He looked so like Nawaki and he used the same technique Dan did. I would sooner die than tell you his name."

She knew he was conflicted. Killing her was against everything he stood for; it wasn't an ordered kill, or one in combat. It would be murder. He needed the information. She saw his fingers tighten and stop.

"Shikaku has you in his shadow jutsu doesn't he?"

"Yes. I...wish...talk."

"Make him put the bow away commander. I should order him to kill you right now you do realise?"

The bow was deliberately and carefully disarmed and slung back over his back.

"Yes...you won't."

She realised that was as well as he could talk. How long had it been since he had last had a conversation? Since he made any noise louder than a whisper? He was trying to string words together and words were missing.

"Why won't I, give me a reason."

"You don't...like...secrets. If you killed...now ...this, people...questions. They...know something..happened and you..answers...not."

"Any other reasons?"

"You don't...killing."

"True. So, why shouldn't I throw you back into T&I, secure with chakra restraining cuffs and cut off your legs so you cannot escape again?"

"I...report...mission?"

"What mission?"

"Retreive...kill...Uchiha."

"That mission was ended three years ago, the retrieval team was unsuccessful, and four of them nearly died in the process. One of them actually died."

"I did not kill him."

"It rather looks like you did. It looks like you and Sasuke both had a go at him, then you both disappeared. You know that looks like you're a traitor. Danzo was arguing that killing Sasuke would be a mistake. You see why I might be suspicious?"

"Sasuke...dead. Poisoned."

"Your doing?"

"Yes."

There was no lie in his eyes or his voice. His voice lifted at little at the words, and she saw a glimpse of his being resurrect a little.

"Proof?"

"Visual...corpse."

"Any other proof."

"I can...witness."

"Your testimony is sketchy at best."

"I need...summon."

She nearly slipped from her chair at that request.

"You want to perform a summoning jutsu in my office whilst my jonin commander restrains you?"

"Yes."

"Shikaku, allow him to perform the jutsu."

The lights were still out, so she couldn't see the puff of smoke, or if he whispered the summoning jutsu. She did hear a muffled squeak, and something scratching up her desk.

A rat, barely visible from what little light the window now let in, appeared on her desk.

"Commander, could you find some kind of light source for me?"

"Of course. Shall I bring Shizune in as well?"

"Yes please, and then you may stand down the remainder of our forces. Including Kakashi. Actually, please come in, you must be soaking out there."

A bedraggled Kakashi moved quickly through the window before closing it. The rain pattered on the glass surface.

"Thank you. Is that you Naruto?"

"Yes."

Came the response from the darkness in front of him. He pulled back his headband to try and see him better. The Sharingan stripped away a little of the shadows, no doubt caused by a genjutsu, to reveal a faint outline. He looked thin, so thin. So gaunt, the beard seeming to elongate his face. He was still short.

"Given you're not a smudge on the floor, I take it we're all talking nicely?"

"Just for the moment Kakashi. Naruto is reporting back from his mission."

It was the voice that you used around a mentally unstable person, and Kakashi decided not to relax just yet.

"Oh."

A quieter, oddly deep yet scratchy voice also spoke.

"Are you done humans?"

They turned to the figure on the desk. It was a large rat, which wore a tattered black piece of cloth with a few lines on the back like some sort of character. Kakashi sized him quickly, realising he was probably about Pakkun's size.

Tsunade looked at him closely for a few seconds.

"I apologise, I was distracted."

"I noticed. It is good you take care of your pack. I am Naruto's summon, and his witness to the death of Uchiha Sasuke."

"Why should I trust you? With respect, you are the summon of someone who may be an escaped missing nin, wanted for murder, who has just returned from the base of one of our greatest threats with a previously unknown contract."

"Unknown? The contract is almost as old as the snake and toad contracts. Merely forgotten by the years and derided for our lack of visible techniques, and human scorn for my kind."

"Forgotten or unknown, you are unexpected. May I know your name Rat-san?"

"My name is Fitch, The Rat Lord, Hokage-sama. If you wish to verify the Rat-clan as a summoning contract, I suggest you summon one of your slugs. Or perhaps have Kakashi-san summon one of his dogs. Or Naruto can summon more of my kin until your office is full."

Tsunade shuddered at the thought.

"I will summon Katsuyu to verify your claim. Kakashi, please summon Pakkun."

The animals were summoned in puffs of smoke. Katsuyu slid up onto the desk, in a smaller form than her largest size. She looked around and gave a short bow to Tsunade who nodded back to her, before running a hand over her blue markings. Pakkun looked for permission from Kakashi before gleefully jumping onto the desk, sitting down to meet with his fellow summons.

The meeting was one of the least likely things that Tsunade had been expecting that evening. A slug, a dog and a rat having a conversation on her desk.

She watched fascinated as Pakkun showed deference to the two smaller animals. She realised there was some sort of order to animal summoning clans, but that it was so complex and well observed was new.

The rat bowed to the slug, who returned the gesture. The rat beckoned the dog to stop and began to squeak. There were nods and more animal noises, and it finished with another round of bowing.

Katsuyu turned to face Tsunade.

"Fitch-sama is indeed the Rat Lord Tsunade-chan."

Tsunade nodded.

"Thank you Katsuyu, Pakkun. You are dismissed."

The summons disappeared in smoke and she faced the rat.

"My apologies Fitch-sama."

"Accepted, although drop the sama. You do no simply gain respect so quickly, so do not flatter me."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes at the insult, but maintained composure.

"So Uchiha Sasuke is dead?"

"Yes. I observed his corpse myself; he was practically bleeding toxin from his corpse."

Her attention snapped towards Naruto, who stood silently before her desk in the darkness.

"How did you manage that?"

"It...in...report."

"You have a report?"

"Yes. You instructed me...write."

He produced a scroll and set it on her desk. Fitch placed a hand on it.

"The report is sealed within. It is quite long."

"It can't possibly be that long can it?"

"See and believe."

The rat unsealed the report and around two dozen notepads appeared suddenly from the scroll. Tsunade eyed them up quickly.

"Thirteen volumes?"

"Almost every night he updated it. He stole it, like most everything else he had to eat or use."

"Nearly a thousand nights?"

"Yes."

Naruto and Fitch echoed the word together.

"I...will read this when I can." Tsunade stuttered slightly as she surveyed the report. Thoughts of turning this into a book were forgotten, this was unprecedented.

"As for his innocence over the death of the Konoha shinobi, it is not my tale to tell. However I trust him as our summoner. I believe you are upset for more than professional reasons."

Tsunade bristled with anger at the statement.

"You may be the chief of your clan, but speak like that to me again and you will suffer my wrath."

The rat spat on her desk.

"I am right. Examine yourself!"

Her fist descended onto the table as he disappeared. The desk splintered beneath the blow into two pieces. Shizune came hurrying through the doorway.

"I came as soon as I could and...oh. What happened?"

"I'll tell you later Shizune."

She wiped her hand on her clothes and sighed. That had been a rash move to make, and she already regretted it. He was right, infuriatingly right.

She turned to Naruto, who remained still.

"I may have been hasty in throwing you to T&I, and I apologise for that. However, I must uphold law. You will be examined over this before you are declared innocent. As my judgement on this matter is impaired, Shizune will read your report and judge its worthiness."

"What? Tsunade-sama, you can't expect me to be able to judge such a document! I am a doctor, I am not prepared for such a..."

"You are the perfect candidate. You are chief of my psychiatric division, and the only person who will take a balanced view. T&I look for suspicion everywhere, and no one else is as precise. Plus you like reading his reports."

"I...suppose so Tsunade-sama. I will do so. Where is the report?"

Kakashi gathered up the notebooks and handed them to her in a large pile. His eye-smile was visible as he leaned out from behind them.

"Enjoy!"

She nearly staggered under the sudden weight he dropped into her arms.

"Get too it Shizune. This is a mission of great importance."

She wobbled out of the room, still surprised at what was going on. Tsunade turned her attention to Naruto as the lights blinked back on. She smiled.

"Ah, that is better at least. Let me see you Naruto. Take off the hood."

"I...dark...not...light."

"I order you as Hokage."

"Hai."

He dropped the hood and Tsunade looked at his face. It was pale. The whisker marks looked almost black in comparison to how he had before. His face was thinner and gaunter too. The beard too. It would be adorably poor if it wasn't for who wore it.

"Remove your cloak."

He dropped the garment to the ground, and she only then realised how ragged and patched it was. Then realised that if it still covered him he hadn't really grown. Then she realised that his body glove was loose.

"When did you last eat a full meal?"

"Months."

She ran to him as he collapsed. Kakashi caught him before he hit the ground. Tsunade straightened up as she looked at Naruto and the full damage at three years of hiding in vents away from the light did to a person.

"Hospital. Now."


	33. Diagnosis

_A/N_

_This bit is the start of the third "work in progress" document I use to just write out the story as it goes. I wrote the first words in this at around chapter 17 or so. Naruto is in poor shape, Suna doesn't exist and Sasuke is dead. Everything has got a little bit messed up really._

_I encourage you all to review as harshly as you feel you need to (it won't hurt my feelings because I can hopefully reply to you by PM and explain/agree) about the plot, writing style etc. Not so much spelling errors because no matter what I do there will be a few in there._

_Otherwise I hope you all continue to enjoy reading this! Your happiness is my happiness in this._

* * *

The light on Shizune's desk was bathing the desk in artificial light as the first rays of dawn crept through the gap in her apartment curtains to join them.

She felt the light from both sides and squirmed slightly in her sleep as the first shreds of conscious thought crept into her head.

This was a bad pillow. Not a pillow. Paper. A report. Was reading. Had just to go the part where...

She pulled herself upright and saw a patch on the paper where her face had rested on the report overnight. She pulled herself out of her chair towards a bathroom.

A look in the mirror showed where the ink had partially transferred to her face. She washed it off quickly, which helped her wake up. The cold water splashed against her skin.

She slumped back to the report; the first book was to one side, finished off sometime the previous night. She realised she'd been so entranced by what it said she didn't remember much of it. Only that it had been gripping and terrifying.

Then again, re-reading it wasn't a problem for her. She had been enjoying this book. She knew the writer had soul and eloquence and serious problems.

Even this close in, she'd realised that Naruto was going to be damaged by his years in the dark. It had taken maybe seventy or so updates to realise that he would have some paranoia. His dreams too, they came up a lot as well. Her psychoanalysis was already complicating.

Her eyes lingered on the page she had just been reading.

_'The darkness swallowed me as a moved through the 27th sub passage I have found from the 4th corridor. I was further from my bolt hole than I had ever been, the patrols conspiring to keep me away from it these hours._

_I slipped into a corner as I heard the heavy tread of a patrol team stamp past me. My breathing is quiet, barely a whisper, hidden by the hum of the systems around me. _

_Although I write of things in the past, I feel it must be told in the present tense. Such tension will not come out clearly in the dulled picture of the past. It is the difference between colour and black and white to my mind. I must live once again in the moment to understand my thinking._

_The footsteps faded and I dove into another doorway. The room is dark, but well maintained. This much is obvious, there are no water puddles, no drip of leaking pipes. I follow the passageway. Distance becomes troubling; I have taken so many steps. I turn and realise that I have not moved more than five metres. _

_There is light ahead. I am cautious of it. Light reveals secrets, but I am a secret that must remain hidden. The door that is visible radiates heat and light. It is clearly somewhere that I must avoid if I can._

_There are voices within, hushed voices. I listen carefully and hear the rise and fall of blades, the sound of impact on hard surfaces. I hear the bubble of hot water, and my nostrils flare at the scent._

_I have found the kitchens within the base. This is the day I can begin to truly unleash my plans. _

_I leap, clinging to the ceiling, using all my control to use as little chakra as possible to crawl into a dark corner of the ceiling. I barely heard the man coming down the corridor in time to avoid him. I feel my body pulling at the chakra, as I try to use as little as possible to hold myself up._

_The man is half hidden in the dull light, and is only briefly illuminated as he enters the kitchen. There is a swish of white hair, and then his voice fills the kitchens, sneering at the men, demanding that they fulfil his requirements._

_The noise gives me time to get back to the fourth corridor and on the route home. It will be hard from now on, but I have the first real weakness. _

_My journey back is unimpeded._

_I am concerned that Shizune patrols are tighter you ok? You're late and we need your help _at the hospital urgently! Shizune-sama?"

Sakura's voice. That was Sakura's voice. Not the report. She realised she'd got engrossed in the rough handwriting and drawn deeper into the story again. Never mind the odd tenses, she wanted to read more. Her tensed body relaxed a little.

She had risen on instinct by that time and opened the door. Sakura looked her in the eyes with concern.

"You don't look like you slept at all. Are you ok?"

Sakura placed a hand on her forehead which Shizune slapped away playfully.

"You may be a good medic-nin now Sakura, but don't get carried away. Tsunade-sama gave me an extra mission that requires a lot of reading. I guess I got carried away."

They began to head for the hospital, which wasn't far. That came from being on call nearly every hour of the year.

"I haven't seen you get this interested in reading since those books that came out some years ago."

Shizune saw Sakura's face droop a little as she recalled those years. It had been hard on the poor girl to lose both of her teammates, both of whom she had deep feelings for. Tsunade had broken her out of her fugue and set her to work, and she had blossomed. She was stronger now, so much stronger.

"Ah, there were excellent books; even you found solace in them."

"There was just something so familiar about them, like I knew the writer. Is what you're reading now as good?"

Shizune resisted the temptation to shout the word yes as loud as she could. Then again, it was the same author. This story was so much more substantial, so much more real than the others.

"It has its charms, but I still have a lot of reading to do. It's a mission as well, so I kinda lucked out."

Sakura sighed. They had entered the hospital at a gallop and were rapidly climbing the stairs.

"What's the emergency anyway?"

Sakura scowled.

"I don't know, apparently only yourself and Lady Tsunade are allowed to see the patient. Is this something to do with the alert last night?"

"You know I can't say Sakura, thanks for getting me. Back to work for you then!"

"Hai!"

Sakura set off back into the hospital corridors as Shizune tentatively knocked on the door. A slot in the door slid back to reveal the porcelain of an ANBU mask. An eye met hers through the narrow slits in the mask before the door opened.

She hurried in as the ANBU shut the door behind her.

Tsunade looked up from where her hands ran over the body on the bed, glowing green with the diagnostic jutsu was taking effect. The body was pale and emaciated, and was hooked up to a number of IV drips.

"Good of you to finally show up Shizune. Nice to know I can get up earlier than you when I have to."

"One to you, five hundred to me Tsunade-sama."

They laughed briefly before turning back to Naruto's prone form.

"How is he?"

"Malnourished, deficient in at least a dozen vital nutrients but otherwise uninjured. One of those drips has a large amount of sedative in it just because I think he'd try to escape if we gave him the chance."

"Really?"

"Well, he's an Uzumaki so he is naturally pretty tough, and he's a Junchuuriki. I'm actually not that surprised or worried by his physical condition. How is the report?"

"Captivating. His writing just makes he want to read more and more. I fell asleep reading it and got so engrossed when I woke up that I didn't hear Sakura calling for me for a few seconds."

"What does it tell you? Focus Shizune, don't forget it is a mission report, not a novel."

"Oh, of course. Apologies Tsunade-sama. I'm concerned for his mental state. He might have an extreme case of paranoia as well as issues caused by spending years practically alone."

"I thought as much. He's still human inside though. In fact, I think he's going to have grown more human."

"How?"

"He's known loneliness. He's probably known fear, even if he doesn't know what it was. His happiness has been so few and far between that he's probably treasured a handful of moments from his time. Hell, I'd hazard he even got bored at one stage."

Shizune realised quite how little of emotion he had known before the mission.

"Oh."

"Anyway, who do we apply to therapy? I can't, I have personal issues with the boy and a village to run. You can't," she raised a hand to silence the objections that Shizune was about to being saying, "because you're enmeshed in his report. We need someone who he will talk to, that he knows and trusts. Sakura probably isn't a good choice either because it looks like he killed her teammate."

"We could assign one of the Psychiatric department's specialists; maybe Juchi Yamanaka. He's done excellent work and his jutsu would provide us with important insights."

"Too invasive. Whilst Naruto would appreciate the pragmatism of having the stuff ripped clean out of his head there is too much sensitive information locked away in there. We need to draw it from him gently."

"So not Anko? She had a connection with him before he left, and I gather is urgently looking for him."

"Too blunt. I have an idea for someone who could though."

"Who?"

Tsunade smiled.

"Someone who needs someone to talk to like he does. However, I think I'll need to send him on missions as part of his therapy."

"What? That isn't responsible at all."

"On the contrary...you think he's going to stay quiet and compliant whilst he undergoes therapy?"

"Point taken."

The soft beeping of his own heart monitor was still too loud for Naruto. Then again, the sheets were soft enough, and he was comfortable.

He opened his real eye and viewed the room blearily.

He was in a hospital. That wasn't good. Then again, he was in a private room. He activated his Byakugan before deactivating it again quickly,

That had hurt a lot more than it needed to. He tried to sit up and only got halfway. That was odd.

He realised there were restraining straps on his chest and legs. Apparently he wasn't fully forgiven. That or his presence was urgently required here and here only.

He decided to wait.

Eventually, Shizune poked her head round the door and saw he was awake.

"Ah, good afternoon Naruto."

She walked into the room and picked up the clipboard at the end of his bed, flipping the charts a little before inspecting the beeping box next to him.

"Your vitals are fine, and we've been running IV drips to bring your nutrient balances into something that resembles healthy. It's a miracle you're not more injured, the Kyuubi has likely kept you alive, which is something I still find medically astounding given how little of the things chakra you must receive."

Naruto nodded.

"You've been asleep two days."

That explained why he felt somewhat rested and hungry.

"Would you like some food?"

"Food would be welcome."

Shizune nodded, and made a quick call via a communications phone on the wall.

"Anything else I can do for you?"

"Can you remove the restraints?"

Shizune chuckled.

"Lady Tsunade specifically requested that you be restrained to stop you over exerting yourself."

"Really?"

"Well, she actually said 'Keep the idiot in one place until I get to talk to him', but I interpreted it as you needing extra bed rest. Given your report, I mostly agree. What the hell were you thinking?"

"When?"

"Anywhere from days one to two hundred and twenty three, I haven't read the rest but I assume you keep going."

"I explain in my report."

"You don't explain why you do it all."

"It was my mission."

She sighed.

"Anyone else would have given up once...well I'm not allowed to say his name died."

That rang bells in Naruto's head.

"What was his name?"

"I'm not permitted to say. Lady Tsunade is the only one allowed to answer this, or someone she deems worthy."

"Why not?"

"It's her orders and my mission."

Despite seeing his own answer thrown back at him perfectly, he felt angry about this. He fought against the bindings.

Shizune placed a hand calmly on his shoulder.

"Trust me, I want to tell you. But Lady Tsunade has ordered me not to and I won't disobey her in this. Struggle too much and I'll have to bring an ANBU in to knock you out if necessary. Just...relax ok?"

He stopped fighting the strong straps.

The door buzzed, and Shizune answered the door. She dismissed the other nurse politely, and wheeled in the trolley.

The smell hit Naruto's nose and the sensations evoked exploded in his mind. It was like smelling everything for the first time.

He breathed in deeply and Shizune smiled at the human gesture.

"The Akimichi clan produces the best medical food in the world, without exception. Most patients will actually eat it without complaining, which is more than can be said for the usual rubbish we serve. It's also got a larger than usual boost of proteins and nutrients."

She raised a spoon and smiled an embarrassed smile.

"Sadly, we've restrained your hands, so, um. Open wide."

He opened his mouth and the spoon with the food was inserted. Never mind the texture, it was warm. He tried to remember the last time he'd had a warm meal in peace. He couldn't help but notice Shizune was blushing a bit.

"Are you ok?"

He blurted between mouthfuls of the food.

She blushed a bit more.

"Yes, but this is a little unusual. We don't have to strap patients down that often who are your kind of insane. Most of them are raving psychotics who don't think too much."

Naruto nodded through a mouthful of the food.

"You're actually sane and nice, so this is a bit weird for us both."

"It is certainly unusual. I'm not complaining about the food, hot food was not readily available."

"I thought that you were planning to infiltrate the kitchens?"

"I did, but the chefs don't eat well."

Her movements paused for a moment.

"How in the hell not? Excuse my language."

"Your language?"

"I used a word I don't usually, 'hell' is a word I consider rude."

"Why? It's just a word."

"It's unimportant. How did the chefs not eat well?"

She fed him another spoonful, he gulped it down, feeling his stomach accept the food willingly.

"The way it was run was intended to keep them suppressed. I'm guessing poor eating would assist in quashing fighting spirit."

"It certainly would. I'm guessing that bastard Kabuto was around then?"

"Yes. He was the day to day manager of sorts, he ordered the chefs around. Very precise, I worried he would find me out."

She shrugged and helped another spoonful of the food into his mouth.

"You do realise that if you had been in there too much longer that your body would have stopped working properly?"

"Yes. Fitch told me. His clan can sense wellbeing like most animals can."

"Still, you managed your mission. If it wasn't for the start then..."

"I...please do not mention the start Shizune-san."

"Oh."

Genuine emotion! That was good. That was very good. She fed him the last spoonful of the meal and he swallowed it happily.

"How does that feel?"

"Good."

"Only good?"

"It's a high good; it is the most satisfying meal I have ever eaten. Although I suspect satisfaction is based relative to past experiences, with more recent ones more heavily weighted towards..."

She had things to read and cut him off before she was caught in more logic.

"Good. Now, rest some more until Tsunade-sama comes to visit you. I'm afraid I'll have to leave someone in the room with you just to make sure."

He mentally crossed that method of escape off the list. Shizune left and the ANBU entered in her place.

"Ah, Talon."

He thought the man was probably smiling behind the mask.

"Lion. How are you? Not tied up at all?"

"I quite plainly am."

He laughed.

"Always the straight man. I would be if I'd just been tied up and spoon fed by Shizune though. Know what I mean?"

He didn't.

"No."

"Oh come on, it has to be hard not to be."

His word emphasis was very odd.

"Hard to be what? Your sentences are odd."

"How long is it going to take you?"

"Until what?"

Talon sighed and leant down next to him.

"Look, if that had happened to me I'd be standing to attention alright?"

Naruto's brain tried to tie together the words emphasised and fought to work it out. He had something, but it didn't make sense. Then again it never did.

"Are you talking about reproductive intercourse?"

Talon fell over backwards and just sat on his rear end for a second. Then he clapped his hands together a few times.

"Finally. She's a pretty lady Naruto, a very pretty lady. Even you must notice that."

"Even though I find her aesthetically pleasing, I do not wish to have children with Shizune-san, and I doubt she would consent if I asked."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. Why? Do you know otherwise?"

Talon turned away and breathed deeply for a moment.

"You know what, ask Anko. Actually don't. Well do, but do so from behind a thick sheet of glass ok? She's a very practical person."

Naruto remembered this.

"So, you went three years in the bastard snake's base straight. Three. Fucking. Years. How the hell are you alive?"

"I hid and enacted my plan."

"How did you evade the guards?"

"They were predictable and slow. They never really saw me at all. They thought I was there, and they patrolled near to me, but they never found me until the end."

"They found you and you're still alive?"

"I switched with a shadow clone and left."

"Surely the clone died instantly?"

"It did not. They wanted me to die slowly."

"You..."

"I do not wish to speak of it."

It was too late, and he felt pain from phantom wounds on his own body. His side burnt. He twisted to try and keep it off the mattress.

Talon stood up and watched him tensely.

"Should I call someone?"

"The pain is all mental."

It was physical as well, but there was no need to mention it. He would lie as long as he could.

"A Yamanaka then?"

"No. I have endured worse, I can endure my ghosts."

The pain faded as he fought it. After all, he only remembered so far into the process. Then he realised why.

He sank back onto the bed and crashed into unconscious sleep as the weight of memory fell upon him.


	34. Social Call

Tsunade scan read the charts rapidly, the information being stored into her brain so fast and so readily, that those who didn't know her better would have thought she was bluffing.

To a degree, they'd be justified. She didn't have the same knack for paperwork her predecessor had, and so boring things would slip her mind. Medical stuff however, was a different story.

"How is he Shizune?"

"His speech has returned to normal, and he accepted food readily. His extreme patience aside, I believe he is becoming bored. He longs to get out and about."

"Good to hear."

"However, I have some reservations. He seems unhealthily worried about finding out the name."

Ah yes. There was an unspoken agreement between them not to talk speak it. Tsunade found it too upsetting, and Shizune wasn't fond of the memories either.

"As he should, although I like that he has something to strive for. He will be driven."

"He doesn't need it; we should tell him and give him his closure."

Tsunade smiled.

"Interesting, this is the first major disagreement in our thinking thus far, and has been for a long time."

"It is Lady Tsunade, but I do not think we can treat him like any other patient. He is too unique. Yes I agree he needs counselling, but Hinata?"

"Yes Hinata. She needs this as much as he does. Were it not for this mission she would now be a civilian training for a political role. She has far too much potential for that."

"I agree, but even so it seems like pushing her where she will be uncomfortable."

"This is where I want her to be. Remember what it took to get Sakura on track?"

Shizune nodded. The training had been brutal and unorthodox, and Tsunade had driven Sakura beyond her limits time after time. It had worked, but it had been painful to watch.

"She needs to be treated like that, only in a different way."

Shizune sighed.

"OK then, but when will you send Naruto on missions?"

"As soon as he is ready. In fact."

She steepled her hands and looked thoughtful.

"Kai."

Shizune felt the chakra was from her dispelling attempt like a gust of wind. Apparently Tsunade wasn't taking any chance and would simply blow away every genjutsu within a mile.

Naruto appeared in a corner looking right at Tsunade.

"Hokage-sama."

"You realise once again I should have you killed?"

"Yes."

She smiled a little.

"Which idiot was guarding you when you escaped?"

An ANBU burst through the office doors, looked at the scene, and visibly wet himself. Shizune turned away to hide her amusement.

Tsunade fixed him with a kindly stare like the one turkey's get before Thanksgiving.

"And?"

"He...disappeared; left a note...I'm in trouble?"

"Whatever gave you that impression Gibbon?"

The man behind the mask fell to his knees.

"The fact you're being so nice Hokage-sama."

She got up from the desk and walked over to the quietly sobbing man, and gave him a pat on the shoulder. Then she whispered something into his ear.

Two seconds later he was gone, and his footsteps could be heard bounding away very quickly indeed.

Tsunade turned to Naruto again.

"How did you do it?"

"Henged into a pillow to escape the bonds, henged out of it and knocked him out with one of his kunai. I then left the note of apology and went back to my apartment to obtain proper clothing. I will return the hospital gown when convenient."

Shizune began quietly scanning him with a diagnostic jutsu, which Naruto made no attempt to stop. Tsunade realised how much smaller he was without the cloak. He just looked so insignificant and quiet.

"I commend the escape, a solid henge is advanced and difficult, but never do that again. If I want you in hospital, you will remain there."

"Yes Hokage-sama."

She sat back in her chair and spun round a couple of times.

"Now, given your summons's testimony, we can verify that you were not siding with Uchiha Sasuke, however doubts still remain over the other death you caused. I want answers."

"I did not mean to kill him. What was his name?"

"Not mine to tell. Now Shizune has read your reports, what was the gist of them regarding this incident?"

Shizune nodded as gave the response she had decided upon.

"That he fired accidently after Sasuke had inflicted mortal damage."

"How did he word it?"

Shizune sighed.

"Much more poetically and with more soul."

"You haven't memorised it like the rest of the report?"

Shizune spluttered a little and turned to hide her blush, diagnostic completed.

"Relax. I'm sure you'll have it down in a week. Now, from any other shinobi under my command, I'd believe that. Seeing a squad mate killed brutally, watching helpless from the sideline. I've seen it, I've been there. You feel helpless and you don't think and everything goes wrong. Panic is something that affects everyone."

She paused to look him in the eye.

"But you are different. You're always thinking and planning so what happened?"

"I...didn't think or plan."

"Really?"

His face was contorted a little in confusion and sadness. She could see it. Maybe he wasn't so damaged.

"Yes."

"Interesting. You realise I'm going to need to have a Yamanaka examine your memory at some stage right?"

Naruto paled a little. Without the hood his expressions were far more visible.

"Or will there be a problem with that order?"

"Yes."

Naruto fought himself to stop trembling. He was going to defy another order. He had to. He couldn't let them know the truth he had realised.

"Which is?"

"My memories of the incident are likely to be incomplete or incompatible with a mind walk exercise."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

"Shizune? Is there anything in his report which might be considered incompatible? Any serious physical trauma?"

"Nothing in the report Tsunade-sama."

"Well, that's the only thing they don't like going near, so what prevents it?"

"The report is incomplete...I didn't have time to finish it."

Tsunade drummed her fingers on the desk as she thought.

"Finish it verbally. I don't care about spoilers."

"Well, upon my escape I had reached the border when I received confirmation of the kill via memory. Then...then..."

He was shaking again. Shizune guided him to a chair as he spoke.

"Then something bad happened. I don't know what it was."

He was still shaking, his hand twitching as he fought involuntary movement. Unfortunately you didn't hide pain from medics that easily. Shizune caught it first.

"Your side is in pain, left side about stomach height. What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Shizune gave him a look that would have stopped Gai from training.

"Lie to me and again and I'll sedate you to find out. Show me your side."

Tsunade was content to watch her protégée examine his side for a moment.

"His skin in the affected area is warm to the touch. I think it's a part of the chakra restriction seal."

"How warm?"

"A few degrees or so, the diagnostic is registering it as nothing but odd nerve stimulation."

Naruto grit his teeth and tuned out the medical discussion as he focused on anything to take away from the realisation. He found the face in his memory and focused. The pain began to ebb.

Shizune noticed that.

"It's going away. It seems stress or memory activated, most likely a sympathetic response to a mental trauma."

Tsunade drummed her fingers on the desk more vigorously, pausing only when she realised her fingers were leaving dents in the reinforced wood.

"Naruto, please return to your apartment and await further orders. I will send someone with your belongings."

"Yes Hokage-sama."

He was out of the window in moments and streaking through the rooftops. Shizune turned to her mentor with a worried expression.

"Is that wise?"

"Keeping him constrained is going to make his problems worse, not better. We cannot force him to remember just yet. I suspect he'll deal with it soon enough, I suspect that Orochimaru tortured him for some time. Contact Jiraiya as soon as possible, and get him back here. The more we can open him up verbally the easier our job of working out what is wrong with him."

"I understand, but his condition is unique. Too unique, dangerously so."

"He's insane Shizune, but he's treatable. Right now he's merely insane and not a psychopathic wreck like a lot of other mental cases we get. He won't go and massacre civilians who he thinks are enemy shinobi. He will keep his pain inside because he can.

I'll send on him some mission, although he's going with Talon's squad. He'll be comfortable and if needed he can be taken down."

She stared out over the city where he would now be moving through, hidden and silent. She briefly wondered whether or not she was making a mistake.

* * *

He got into the house and fought the urge from his fingers to form hand seals. He was safe. He dropped the henge that had carried him along the rooftops.

He nearly collapsed onto the bed in the corner, ignoring the torn curtain and broken window for a few moments. There was broken glass on his floor and dust was everywhere. He fought the urge to cough at some of it.

He felt like curling up and finding somewhere like his hole in the fortress. He felt it was home, it had been for so long. His and his only. This place was too big.

He breathed again. He was safe here. At worst he could henge if anyone found him. His room was dirty, and he could clean it. He considered putting a genjutsu over the window before realising that would alert other shinobi to his presence.

Finally he gave up and did collapse onto the bed and into a dark and restless sleep.

* * *

The Root teams spread throughout the base.

They knew where Orochimaru was, and now the biggest strike team assembled since the disaster in Ame was moving through his base on an extermination mission. Five teams, fifteen well skilled and emotionally blunted soldiers moving with brutal efficiency.

But they certainly weren't as stealthy as Naruto had been, and sensor nin would capable of picking them up once they got within.

They breached the entrances to the base and moved in quickly and quietly. They split up to cover more tunnels.

Then hell broke loose in the base.

Teams that had been moving down seemingly deserted corridors found themselves assaulted by waves of shinobi under Orochimaru's command. But Root Elite were tough.

The confined spaces made katon jutsu incredibly valuable, and Sound shinobi were burnt back repeatedly by the specialists on each team. The lesser grunts died fiery deaths, their robes and flesh catching fire in the enclosed spaces.

Water jutsu used to counter the attacks soon led to the tunnels being flooded; the battle took on a whole new dimension.

The three Root teams which had a lightning jutsu specialist had the easiest time, as anyone who stayed in the conductive water soon found themselves on the end of a swift frying, and so the battle took to the walls and ceiling between everyone.

Hardened steel blades clashed as the Root teams showed their prowess.

The defenders pulled back, the water in the tunnels now red with blood of slain Oto shinobi who could not match up to the ruthless killers that Root produced.

Then things started to go awry for the Root teams.

The first team was pushing forwards through the weakened resistance, heading deeper into the base to try and find their target when the corridor sealed itself in bone.

Then the spikes came and the Root team was no more.

Another team got bogged down in seemingly endless attacks from grunts. Whilst they would win the kill count, they were stuck fast under a growing wall of bodies.

Team three found themselves attacked by a smaller team of much more elite ninja, and were separated to fight their own fights. One man found himself against an angry shape shifting youth with orange skin. He fought bravely before being obliterated in a blast of chakra. Another found himself against a swordsman, and they duelled down corridors. Eventually he found his mark and chopped his head off, only to turn into a wicked scything blow from the youth as he reformed from the water. The third had it worst, and became one of Kabuto's test subjects after a quick fight. He struggled as Oto shinobi overwhelmed him and dragged him away at Kabuto's command.

Still, that left two teams on target.

Six highly trained operatives stormed into the deepest chambers in the base. They found themselves in what appeared to be a private medical ward.

The sickly man on the bed struggled to sit upright, keeping his face away from the light.

"Kabuto?"

The bed was hit by a storm of different jutsu at the same time. Fire met water and became scalding steam, which wind accelerated and lightning crackled around. The bed, the equipment around it and a few feet of stone were broken very quickly into an rapidly expanding storm of dirt and rubble.

The six men fanned out into the dust to find proof the target was dead. No notions of a guarantee were in the minds of such men.

Then they started to die.

The first man went with a yelp of surprise which ended in a loud crunch and an outward spray or something wet and warm. Then there was mayhem once more and more of them died in similarly painful ways.

The last Root shinobi began to retreat towards the door when something terrifying rose before him. He was prepared, and fear did not cross his mind.

He was not afraid to die.

He made the hand signs as the distorted snake face in front of him curled into a cruel smile that knew it was invulnerable.

His fingers formed the last signs and he thrust them towards his own stomach, intent on activating the four prong seal and seal the snake before him in his own body.

He arm stopped just before he hit is stomach, the snake still reared in front of him. Then the arm fell to the ground in a spray of blood, before the Root shinobi was sent flying into another wall with a crack and lay very still.

Orochimaru's true form seemed puzzled until a man pinned it to the wall.

The cloak was long, and covered his entire body as the figure held Orochimaru in place. The serpentine body thrashed as it tried to get free.

"Hello again Orochimaru."

The serpentine body thrashed harder, desperate to escape the man's clutches.

"You? Why are you here?"

The darkness and dusty rubble hid the man's expression, but what were visible were the eyes. The red burning eyes with the three black pupils that gently turned.

"I want some answers Orochimaru. You're going to give them to me."

The curved mouth of the snake curved upwards before the body held by the man turned into an empty husk. The man turned slowly and began to walk down the corridors.

He knew that Orochimaru wouldn't run. Even if he did he could be easily hunted down. No, Orochimaru's lust for the Sharingan would bring him back to attack.

He heard a crash from above as his partner continued to sweep up all the forces, Root or Oto that remained above him. Kisame would be enjoying himself greatly. A lot of food for Samehada.

He continued to walk down the corridors, his eyes seeing everything despite the darkness. The corridor filled with snakes which he simply blasted away with a fireball as if he were swatting a fly.

He caught a glimpse of Orochimaru's white snake form dart around a corner and followed, never once accelerating above a slow walk.

Orochimaru coiled on the ceiling of the dark laboratory where he conducted his experiments. Strange fluids bubbled and let off a fine mist which was painful to smell. He waited for his target. He would have the Sharingan, and Itachi was walking into his trap.

He smiled as the figure walked into the lab, and held its fingers over its nose. He slithered silently along the ceiling, waiting for the perfect time to strike.

After all, one of his more recent experiments was still on a slab in the back. He let Itachi wander about the lab. Every second that Itachi stayed in the room, he would be one step closer to taking his body.

Last time he had been foolish and tried to take Itachi by force, now he was ready.

He would leave it until just the right moment to strike. Itachi was still walking calmly through his lab, and was nearing the slab covered by a sheet. The man pulled it back to reveal the body hidden beneath.

He dropped around the man and engulfed him in a sea of white snakes which bit and tore at the body he held in place. There was no struggle, although there hadn't been last time.

He let the snakes go to reveal the limp body. He almost laughed, but there was no time for that. He needed the body intact and not too injured.

Then the body burst into crows and he cursed before he burst into flames of agony. He rolled, but the flames would not stop. He shed his skin once again to escape the man. He looked around for where he had gone.

Right into the eyes which had changed.

They spun this way and that before the world changed. He realised he was back in his original human body. His pale, imperfect body. He was also very much trapped.

"Hello Orochimaru. Nice to see you up to your old tricks."

"Itachi. Why?"

Another Itachi appeared and stabbed him with a sword. He felt the pain like the sword was made of fire.

"Why is my brother dead?"

Despite knowing that this would last 72 hours, and that he would likely tell Itachi everything, Orochimaru laughed.

"A family visit? Sasuke was well until just recently."

Another sword perfectly aligned to cause maximum internal damage. Despite knowing it was a genjutsu it hurt like hell.

"Who killed him?"

"Konoha."

A third sword pieced him. He laughed again. Itachi was staring at him from the endless desert of black sand.

"Who from Konoha? Tell me!"

Orochimaru found some brief irony that he was being interrogated for information about someone he had himself interrogated.

"A boy about Sasuke's age. Pain is going to take so long to get the answers out of me Itachi."

Itachi reached into his robes and drew out another sword made out of pure fire. Orochimaru's eyes went wide as all the other Itachi who had been stabbing him drew them as well. He had longed for that sword for so long.

"That sword? Here?"

The pain was much more intense this time, he started to scream.

"Tell me more about him."

Orochimaru panted. This felt too real, normally this much pain blasted someone out of the genjutsu.

"He was strong. Then he was poisoned."

He felt the temperature in the endless genjutsu rise a little. How long had it been? Maybe five minutes.

"How? You and your minions should have been well able to detect such a thing with ease and prevent it. Is Kabuto so weak? Are you so weak?"

The cruel, mocking but horrifyingly correct judgement dripped from every word.

"He spent three years doing it."

"Three years?"

"Three years. How I still don't know. Three years is the first time my followers mentioned the ghost."

Itachi narrowed his eyes. The desert got hotter again. He felt the sheen of sweat running over him and making it hotter. The blazing swords were closer now. Hovering all around his body.

"The ghost? The mighty Orochimaru brought low by a phantom?"

"Oh we found him. But it was too late. Kabuto found at least half a dozen components. In the end, his body died a few seconds after his last meal. A neurotoxin his own body made."

Itachi considered this. His brother was dead, but he would grieve later. There was something more important, even through the grief.

"Who was the ghost?"

Orochimaru suddenly found the heat replaced with Arctic cold that literally frozen him. The fiery swords seemed to be taking in heat rather than expelling it. The agony was near overwhelming, even for someone like him.

"A very special boy. But we only captured a clone."

"Continue."

The cold bit deeper into his soul. He cried out as fast as he his brain permitted.

"His clone lasted two days under torture and died on the slab before disappearing. It died and remained intact. That alone marks him out as special. But he had a seal that completely wiped out his chakra presence. And he had another seal."

"Tell me."

The voice was hypnotic and the pain too intense. He would tell Itachi everything.

"He's a Junchuuriki, and you know what that means."

The temperature returned to normal and he felt the pain recede a little. Then the illusion unravelled.

His serpentine form would not respond to his urges to run. Thoughts of attack were gone. He wanted to run and hide and let the pain disappear. He looked up at Itachi's standing form.

Something was running down his face, but it was too dark to be tears. The blood ran from one eye and what looked like tears from another.

"Itachi...spare me."

The man just looked down at his pitiful form and shook his head. Then the world erupted into black flames and he screeched as his life was extinguished.


	35. Refraction

Kisame strode down the blood-soaked and battered corridors, following Samehada's lead. The sadness and anger radiating from Itachi was making the sword twitchy. It twisted a little in his grasp and he soothed it a little. Itachi had to be really worked up. He reached the chamber and swung his sword up onto his shoulder. He looked down at the white thing engulfed in black, lightless flames.

"I never liked him anyway Itachi. Find out anything?"

The man turned and strode towards the exit. Kisame adopted his best motherly tone. It wasn't different from his normal voice.

"Itachi? You know sulking won't help."

"I have information for Leader-sama."

"Oooh, is it the Nine-Tails at last? We didn't even find him last time before all those idiots got in the way and you bailed."

Itachi didn't answer as he walked.

His mind was in turmoil. His brother was dead, and he was the last Uchiha. Outcast from the home he defended. The last of his kind. Traitor in the midst of traitors and the most dangerous men in the lands.

He realised his illness was going to catch him sooner rather than later, and realised that the majority of his plans had come to nothing.

He felt the tears beginning to form in his eyes and he blinked them away. He was stronger than this. Even though everything that he had fought for had failed, he would keep going. He would fight on.

He had no idea how. He couldn't return to Konoha. He couldn't let the masked man win. He couldn't let Nagato win either. His final victory would come in defying three people theirs.

Then again, he couldn't lose at anything either. He couldn't just turn on the Akatsuki so quickly though. Kisame was strong enough to fight him on a level par, and the others had unknown strengths.

His brain began to plan and think of how he could be most effective. When did he strike? Who did he strike?

Kisame felt the sword twitch as Itachi's negative emotions changed a little. The sword still wanted his chakra after all these years. He was always amazed by how hungry it was, even after it was able to devour so much of Kisame's.

"So it is the Nine-Tails then?"

He recovered his posture and kept walking, facing away from his partner.

"It is. He's going to be hard to find though. He hid in that base for three years."

The blue skinned man let out a long whistle.

"Interesting."

"He doesn't sound like a combat specialist though. He won't be much fun for you."

Kisame shrugged as they reached daylight again. Itachi turned to the entrance to the base. He didn't want any stain of Orochimaru's organisation to remain more than it needed to. This place was to be destroyed and blasted from the earth.

"Level this place Kisame, and sink it into the ground."

The man cackled as he placed his hands on the ground and focused his water chakra. Itachi felt the ground become a little wet before he looked at the small amount of buildings on the ground level.

They were small and fortified, mainly for show as a guard post of some sort. Most of the base was underground anyway. A conventional explosion wouldn't do. He wanted this place to sink without trace.

There was some shaking as the earth and rock around the base had water forced into it. Cracks grew under the pressure, solid dirt became thick mud that began to shift and run like rivers.

The Land of Sound had previously been the Land of Rice Fields, and now the long, muddy tracts that made up the majority of the land began to reclaim the land for their own. Thick dark mud slammed down on the weakened area.

Slowly the buildings began to sink before the falling inwards. The earth opened and swallowed the buildings whole and the crash of them falling on the base below echoed through the muddy plains around them. The soft rumbles of tunnels and chambers below collapsing under the water echoed deeply through the earth.

Anyone left alive in there wasn't any longer.

Water flooded into the sinkhole, forming a small, brown lake in the middle of the land. Itachi considered everything that Orochimaru must have had in there. The secret techniques and science now lost under mud and water.

He smiled as both sides were denied more weapons. He smiled as he took the first step of his plan.

* * *

Tsunade let the words sink into the poor girl who she'd just given the mission to. She tried to keep a soft, supporting face over the iron will that was going to impose the order.

Hinata looked into her Hokage's eyes for a sign that she was joking about this, and found none. This hadn't been what she had been expecting.

Then again, she didn't know what she had been. A few days ago, this would have been her handing in her head plate and resigning her commission as a chunin. How she had gained that rank was beyond her, she barely remembered the exams.

Now she had a new mission of a higher rank than any she had participated in before and she was alone in it.

What was worse was that it was so simple for her that she couldn't refuse and give up her shinobi profession.

"Hokage-sama, I just need to talk to him as a therapist?"

She was a little too shocked to be nervous about this.

"Yes Hinata. Two one hour sessions a week, and the possibility of an external mission or two to keep you in shape and give you things to talk about with him, as well as keeping you in touch with Shino and Kiba more. You will continue training however you see fit."

She considered the way things were and looked out of the window in the direction of the training grounds and monument.

"May I have...Can I...I would like to..."

"Think it over somewhere? Of course. This is a high ranking mission and one you should think about. I would rather have you than someone else."

She nodded. She needed this moment once again.

Her steps took her gently out of the Tower and towards the training grounds. She nodded gently towards anyone who bade her welcome, but moved quietly towards her destination.

The village thinned out into the trainings grounds and she headed for one in particular. She used to hide just there, and she'd watch him train from there.

She didn't bother trying to forget, she just walked on. She was safe here.

She didn't need to think to navigate to her destination, and she found the rock and her place of solitude. She wasn't the only one who did this; several times she had seen other shinobi here.

She realised her spot was taken by another figure she didn't recognise for a few moments. Then she dived silently behind another rock when she did.

Him.

Why here? Why now?

She trembled with anger she knew she couldn't hold on to. He was here for the same reason. He didn't deserve to be. She needed this time.

She turned from behind the rock and raised her voice, telling him to go. Nothing happened. Then she realised she hadn't moved a muscle.

She couldn't confront him, not now, not like this not.

"Hinata?"

His voice. It sounded better than it had before when she had found him. What had she been thinking? Why had she rushed him back without thought like nothing had mattered?

His voice was less sure than before. She looked up into his face. His hood was down and his hair had grown out a little. His expression was unreadable.

She fought the urge to run and tried to form words.

"Naruto."

The silence was total, absorbing all other sound.

He spoke first.

"I'm sorry."

Well she hadn't been expecting that. She realised that him saying it had actually made her feel angry. She tried to bite it back. Had Tsunade-sama known he would be here?

"For what?"

He pondered this for a moment. Every second he did made her temper rise within her a little more.

"For what happened. I made a mistake."

"A mistake?"

He looked at the monument and then down at the earth.

"I didn't mean to shoot him."

She didn't look at him. She realised she was trembling with the anger she'd kept inside.

"I never learned his name."

Something within her snapped, and the juuken strike jabbed out, her finger glowing gently with the chakra. He ducked under it.

She fought the urge to send more; it had never been so strong. She'd pushed the feeling down when her father had been harsh, but there was nothing to really hold it back here.

"I did not mean to offend you but..."

She decided another few attempts at hitting him were deserved. He kept dodging but eventually one caught him and he stumbled backwards.

She stalked over him, her arms wanting to strike him to oblivion and back whilst she could. Then she realised what she had done and the trembling started for another reason. She quickly knelt down and undid her damage.

He scrambled back quickly, expecting more strikes.

"Naruto...I...did not mean to hurt you. I..."

She sat, unable to form the right words. So did he. She gave up and just spoke her mind.

"I wish to be alone. Please leave."

"I understand."

He left. Then she realised what he had said and suddenly he made a little bit more sense. She turned on her Byakugan to see if he was gone. He had, or he was hiding so well she couldn't tell. Either way she felt alone enough. She knelt in front of the monument and a finger traced its way to the name with practised ease.

She'd done this so many times over the last three years that the physical actions were routine. She had remembered him.

She knew she hadn't been the only one. She'd shied away from visits when she'd seen Kakashi around. She'd seen Lady Tsunade here too. Even Sakura and some of the other genin once or twice.

She'd been here the most though.

She closed her eyes and rested by the memorial stone.

He'd been a lot to her, but she'd never really gotten close to him. He had definitely been a friend to her and her to him.

She'd never had the courage to talk to him more, and chided herself every time she did this. Every time she remembered him and thought about how she'd never got to say goodbye.

Then Sasuke had left, and everyone had disappeared and come back hurt. He had come back dead.

The tears had fallen for a long time. Then nearly three years later she'd needed saving on a mission when she hadn't tried to dodge a blade. She owed Shino her life because she hadn't cared.

Then she had been about to quit and then he had returned. Two very prominent he's, each with an effect on her life.

Both had nearly killed her by this point, in very different ways.

And now she had to talk to one about how he'd killed the other.

How had it come to this? What would he have done?

He would have kept going and never given up until the mission was complete. He'd have continued on to the death.

That was something he could never achieve.

* * *

Naruto held his breath and covered his mouth with his cloak as the gas began to fill his room. Whoever was doing it to his apartment obviously wanted his attention and knew he was home.

He briefly considered the effect of his still unrepaired window on the ventilation of the gas before he decided it wasn't his concern. He just needed to take them out.

Whoever this was, he had a strong suspicion it was Talon, was trying something that wouldn't work on him.

He waited until he heard the slightest noise and dropped a sleep bomb into his apartment from above, holding himself to the ceiling with ease.

There was the satisfying noise of a Karawimi with something outside. The object dropped onto his floor with a nice thump on the floorboards.

He waited for the second attempt. Then he heard the sound of a scuffle outside.

There were faint voices too.

"Come on Hare! No. Pig! Let! Go!"

"Enough, just...let us handle this Talon."

"I want my vengeance damn it!"

So it was Talon. From what he could surmise, Hare and Pig were going to deny him the chance to try and outwit Naruto.

Eventually, something flew through his window. The kunai had a simple white piece of cloth tied to it. A traditional symbol of surrender.

He dropped out of the window to meet the ANBU team outside. Talon was restrained with ninja wire and Naruto suspected his expression was one of deep unhappiness. He wished deeply to see the man's face to confirm his suspicions.

Hare stepped forward first.

"Naruto, there's a mission for you with us. Good to see you alive and well."

Pig stepped forwards and nearly crushed him in a bear hug. The much larger man's grip was restricting his grip. He remembered what hugs were and this certainly had to come under a new type of hug. This was not a normal hug. It was meaningful, but overly tight. His ribs felt a bit bruised.

"We thought you were dead for sure! But you came back and then you sleep-bombed Talon! That was hilarious for us to find."

Talon shifted against his bonds.

"I'll get you for that you know. But it is good to see you. What Pig didn't tell you was that he bet against your return."

Pig rubbed the back of his head.

"Best bet I ever lost."

Talon merely shrugged and split the wires with a kunai before standing up and flexing his arms. Hare sighed.

"We could have retrieved that for later use you know."

Talon grinned.

"And miss a chance to practise my chakra manipulation to cut the wire like butter? Always training Hare. Always training. That's why I'm a captain and you're not."

Hare placed a hand on his mask in despair. Talon flexed his muscles for no reason.

"Right then, brief on the road like always boys. Try to keep up Naruto; I'm sure you'll have some new stuff to show us."

Then the ANBU were moving and Naruto was moving after them as fast as he could. His slightly older frame pushed him forwards a little faster, and he pushed chakra into his limbs to keep the speed up.

He wasn't much taller; malnutrition in Orochimaru's base had stunted his growth. He was slightly taller, but not that much. He was definitely short. That said his frame was wiry and flexible, and surprisingly powerful for its size.

He pushed on after the black clad figures as they bounded northwest, that meant they were going to the border with Iwa.

Talon's voice crackled through his earpiece, and there was a sudden feeling of relief in his body. Talon could keep in contact even if he was alone at points. He wouldn't have to be alone on the mission at all times.

He started to listen to the briefing.

"Right boys, we're going to rock...in Rock country! We're going to Iwa."

Hare's sigh was easily heard as the poor puns began.

"Since Suna bit the dust a few years ago because _someone_ unleashed a tailed beast on them," Naruto felt that comment was targeted somehow, "we know things have got a little bit tense. We're just going out to see if any large forces are building up in Iwa. Don't get found, don't leave evidence. Clear?"

There was a chorus of assents.

"Good. No going solo unless it's a kickass solo."

"What the hell are you on about Talon?"

There was a snort. He saw Talon shake his head gently.

"None of you appreciate rock music enough."

Pig's retort was quick.

"That new stuff with...guitars are they called? The weird ones with six strings."

"Yes. Guitars are amazing. Just because they're not the traditional stuff you're used to Pig. One day you'll see. Rock is here to stay."

"Sure Talon. Sure."

The team made haste for the border and was shifting northwards to go through Grass. That would be fine, both Konoha and Iwa had non-aggression treaties with the minor nation. Military access through it was, whilst frowned upon officially, ignored in general.

Nobody wanted to annoy two powerful and increasingly twitchy nations after all.

The trees and thick forests of the Fire Lands began to gently shift to different types of tree, smaller and more shrubby. The ANBU team ploughed ahead regardless and were soon deep into Grass territory.

Naruto was surprised by how few patrols they even came close to encountering. In fact, if his judgement was right, patrols moved distinctly out of the way of all possible threats.

Grass territory wasn't all that interesting, and soon the brush was thinning out and the landscape of Iwa came into view.

Harsh barren steppes, large and rocky stretched out as far as he could see. His teammates didn't seem all that bothered by it. He realised they'd probably done this a dozen times before.

He followed them into the territory with all his usual skill and grace.


	36. Fire and Steam and Smoke

Night began to fall and the team found a small cave opening to duck into. Naruto found this to be somewhat too risky and decided to question the decision.

"Given Iwa shinobi usually prefer doton jutsu, wouldn't it be unwise to go into such a cave? If discovered we would be at a severe disadvantage."

Talon's posture changed, and Naruto thought it meant he was grinning. All his old observations about how people did things were hidden somewhere in his mind, long unused by years in hiding. They were slowly coming back into use for him.

"Well then we don't get found do we?"

That was that then. He was good at not getting found. He followed them into the cave as the sun ducked behind a steppe and darkness descended more thoroughly. No fire was lit, nobody needed it, and it was too much of a risk in the cave. It wasn't deep enough to disguise properly.

The ANBU settled down somewhere that was comfortable enough for themselves, and went into ANBU crash sleep mode. It was the perfect mode for resting whilst being aware enough to respond fast.

Naruto didn't bother sleeping and kept watch out of the entrance, bow primed and ready for action.

He heard Talon slide over next to him.

"So, what was it like?"

"What was what like?"

The man's voice was a low whisper.

"Those years. I know you don't want to talk about it, but I have to know. How did you manage it? Food? Drink? Other...necessaries?"

He tried to recall only the most basic of information. He wanted to tell him everything, and he could have. But it wasn't the right time.

"I stole food from the kitchens or ate when I was disguised as a cook. Some days I didn't eat, because of the patrols."

Talon nodded slightly, he knew about days when you didn't eat, but they were rare for ANBU. Stealing food was slightly less common, but over three years? For a mission you got called up for at very short notice?

"Drink I got from a small water source where I made my home base. It was enough."

"Where was your home base?"

"A small gap in the rock by a ventilation shaft."

That was interesting at least. The only place he could find and he found it. Luck, but used to the full.

"Those were the only necessities other than intelligence gathering, which I did with care."

Talon considered asking about going to the toilet and other such things. He decided against it. He didn't want to push Naruto too far.

"Sounds like you had a tough time."

"It had challenges I was able to overcome."

Talon placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. The young man didn't turn from his watch.

"If you need to talk to people, we're always here Naruto. Anko will be as well. I'm sure Hokage-sama will find you someone to talk to."

The boy was silent for a few moments until he removed the hand and crept a little back into the cave to sleep.

"Thank you Talon-san."

"No problem."

He found a comfy enough spot and went to sleep. Naruto merely kept watch.

His summons could alert him to enemy presence easily enough if needed. What he wanted to watch was the world around him.

The cloudless night was dark under the new moon. The only lights Naruto could see were those of the stars in the sky.

The full glory of the heavens was displayed in all its majesty before him. He could not only see a few stars, like you got in the cities and near the towns. Or underground, like he had been.

The sky, the open sky before him. He realised how much he missed it. He saw the stars up above, and wondered what they were. They couldn't just be spots of light in the sky. They had to be something more. For all his shinobi knowledge, an education into people and things that didn't have practical use was lacking.

His keen eye took in the bands of lighter materials that stretched through the sky. What were they? How did it work and why?

He pondered all of these things as he kept watch through the night.

* * *

The patrol lasted for three days without any kind of incident. No Iwa forces were building on the border, and there was no sign of any forces whatsoever. The rocky steppes were peaceful and without any real danger.

The rest of the ANBU seemed satisfied that nothing was going on, and they continued to move to the most remote point they would reach into the Iwa lands.

Then Naruto felt the tremor of chakra, and judging by the reaction of the others, so had they. Pig stared in its direction.

"You guys felt that as well right? That was insane. Something big is going down."

Talon turned to Naruto.

"Can you see what is going on there?"

The Byakugan had already been on when the blast of chakra occurred, and Naruto could see what looked like a glow coming from a valley a mile away. He was at the limits of his vision just looking at it, and the glow was very strong.

"No, there's too much chakra, the jutsu used is large."

Talon thought for a moment.

"We need to check this out. It could be an Iwa Junchuuriki, and information on them is well prized. Don't get seen, and if you do, run like hell to Konoha."

The team spread out to get more vision on the target, Naruto taking the most circuitous route. His thin frame was more powerful than before as his recovery continued, and he ran low to the ground from cover to cover. He already had the distraction genjutsu on himself.

The amount of chakra being used ahead was entirely staggering. It was similar to the levels he had briefly seen when the One-Tails had reformed.

It had to be another person like him. He suddenly felt the need to be there with them and talk to them.

Then there was another burst of chakra that was very different. That meant there were at least two people of high power there.

That meant someone was fighting him? Or his training was more extreme than anything he had ever encountered. He felt excited.

He ran forwards faster and began to climb the slope as fast as he could whilst maintaining a basic level of stealth. He was near the top. His Byakugan could only see a seething mass of chakra in the valley on the other side.

He realised that there could be any number of figures hidden in that chakra and slowed down a little. Whilst it was unlikely that there was anyone in that battle other than the two powerful figures, it was possible.

He peered over the lip into a valley of heat and steam. Then there was lave spreading outwards and more water meeting it. An entire mountain was slowly getting built in the middle of the valley as water met fire.

Two people were moving very, very fast at the bottom of the valley. He could see the chakra signatures, there were three. Two were moving together, with one moving around the other. They were the same signature. Twins? No, that wasn't it. It was likely a clone of some sort.

The other was burning bright red chakra into his vision like a small sun. It was a man encased in chakra and spewing forth more. The Junchuuriki.

He realised that this was not a fight to get involved in. It was not his fight, or his orders to be in the fight.

The amount of swirling chakra was almost hypnotic.

The noise however, was cataclysmic. He could barely hear anything over the thunder of the battle, and that worried him. He was nearly blind and deaf to all threats that could sneak up on him. Then again, they were blind to him.

He snuck along the top edge as the battle continued to rage below. It seemed there was less lava around. Then the steam flowed upwards. He went to ground.

The hurricane like wind slammed over him and ripped up smaller rocks and trees and flung them out of the valley. His radio became a wash of static that he tuned out, and he stayed flat behind a small ridge until things died down.

Then he peered up after a few seconds and was hit by the second shockwave as the beast below roared.

It was a four tailed monkey, taller than a house and wider as well. Two giant fists slammed onto the ground with such force that it became molten and cracked.

With the steam and lava cleared, its opponent became clear. A man with blue skin stood before it holding a large blade that gently twitched. That was the same chakra signature of the man. That meant the sword was definitely not normal, and likely alive.

He scanned for other figures and saw four. That was a potential problem.

There were only three others on his team, and he couldn't discern which was which with this much residual chakra in the air.

He couldn't risk drawing attention to himself, so stayed put. The battle below had taken on a less visible but somehow more intense phase.

The man with the sword was hurting the beast with every swing of his weapon and he could see why. Its chakra was being siphoned out into the sword with every hit. That was certainly a good weapon to have, even if it was too large and out of his depth for Naruto to even consider using.

The beast was also shedding a fair amount of blood from a lot of light, gashed wounds. Its glow was getting weaker as it tried to strike the elusive man again and again, but it was too slow. The man was reading it and blocking it in. He wondered why the beast didn't just flee.

He checked his surroundings again; one of the figures was closer, but not enough to really concern him.

He realised the great monkey was faltering as it spread lava once more over the valley floor. The man used water to cool some and danced around the large fists that tried to swat into a burning death.

He realised the man with the sword was going to win. The Junchuuriki had over-committed himself to the fight and only now saw that it wasn't going his way.

His attempts to flee saw him flattened by a tidal wave of water than sent steam rising into the valley and the body of the beast slammed hard into the rock face. Naruto flattened himself further as the apocalyptic sound died down. He checked his surroundings again.

There was a figure not ten metres from him. His headset was still nothing but static. He crawled back silently and readied his bow, throwing up his distraction genjutsu.

The battle in the valley was forgotten as he prepared to fire. He remembered the last shot he had fired and nearly twitched in his aim. That was then, this was now. He could hit. He would hit if he knew the man wasn't an ANBU. He knew now it wasn't Pig, the size was too small.

He watched the walk; it was slow and meticulous, as if nothing was happening. It was almost casual to the eye. It wasn't Hare either. But was it Talon?

The figure was five metres away and the steam was so thick he still couldn't tell. The smell of sulphurous lava crept up out of the valley from the amount of cooling volcanic rock.

The seconds felt tense. Was it Talon or not? Yes and he was safe, no and he fired and took the figures head off. It walked like Talon certainly.

The figure got closer and he saw the loose robes surrounding the figure and fired before the figure split apart into crows.

Naruto realised that there were now several figures around him and he was very much alone with very few places to hide.

He put another bolt into the crossbow, and created two shadow clones to run in opposite directions.

He shrunk back deeper into the rocks, watching for the figure. The chakra haze was weaker here and he could just see his clones moving out beyond his sight range.

He expected one of them to die and the other to make it round to Talon. People didn't expect two decoys with no real one.

Then both sets of memories came back to him in a flash. His attacker had clones of his own, and he had a sharingan Naruto had ever seen before.

There was only one person that could be, and Naruto's mind whirred even further into overdrive. There was no time for fear, he would flee as quickly as possible, and fight what little he could if he needed to.

He drew the tanto blade and tightened the crossbow around his back. Speed would be important now, his bow was not a fast weapon.

He prepared to deactivate the outer reaches of his restriction seal to use more chakra for speed.

Then he looked out with his Byakugan and saw the eyes of the man ahead of him light up before the world changed.

* * *

This was not the valley. He pulsed his chakra to no effect.

The voice came from everywhere.

"Welcome to Tsukotoyumi. There is no escape for the next 72 hours."

Then the air in his lungs was punched clean out of him and he fell onto freezing black sand. A figure stood over him, eyes glowing bright red like some unholy fire. The voice was slow, deep and deliberate, resonating in the subsonic and somehow chilling his very soul.

"Who are you little Ghost?"

He was picked up, and found himself unable to resist the man's efforts at all. His muscles were dead and he couldn't move. The man knew his moniker, if not his name. If anything that was more dangerous.

He wouldn't answer though.

The man threw him into the air and suddenly he was tied to something, arms outstretched and being pulled. His arms didn't like the feeling at all.

"Answer me and this can hurt less. I don't know enough about you to want to kill you just yet."

Itachi paced around him, and somehow he was able to turn and face him at all times despite being tied still. It was disorientating. He was in pain, but he'd suffered worse. The Root torture teams had inflicted worse than this in his training. Orochimaru and his men worse still. He wouldn't be made to talk by that.

"Three years ago I returned to Konoha very briefly in search of the Fourth Hokage's Legacy. I came in search of a Junchuuriki that held the Nine-Tailed beast, and unfortunately it was too early for such a search. I was found and left to avoid fruitless conflict, but not before catching up with some old friends."

He kept pacing. The thing he was tied too was both boiling and freezing at once. That was a neat trick.

"There was no sign of a Junchuuriki though. By that time, there should have been a thirteen year old running around with the beast sealed into him or her, being scorned and hated by everyone. At least, that is the usual fate of the Junchuuriki.

Yet after the attack, no baby was guarded. Nobody paid any attention to the sudden disappearance of a tailed beast at all. In fact, the official word was that the beast had been defeated by the Fourth at the cost of his life. How noble. How brave. The people ate it up because its a story people wanted to believe. It is only human of them. They would prefer to know their hero succeeded in death rather than only delayed the inevitable."

He stopped and sat down on a stone throne that had appeared behind him.

"Yet you can't kill a Tailed Beast, at least not in the traditional sense. Actually, now that I see your equipment you might know this already. You killed the Suna Junchuuriki. I sense it. Lady Tsunade told you it would reform.

Interestingly, a lot of people knew that and wondered what had actually happened. A lot of those questioners died in the months following the attacks in accidents whilst travelling or on missions. That was odd as well. Those than did afterwards suddenly kept it very much to themselves so as not to fall prey to the curse.

So when the organisation I work for decided to search for all the beasts, the most powerful of them all appears not to exist as a Junchuuriki. So that Junchuuriki must be hidden. Who hides a weapon like that? Who can hide a weapon like that?"

He tilted his head sideways to observe Naruto.

"Even Zetsu couldn't find it. The finest sensor in the world unable to find a giant chakra entity. Impossible. Any Junchuuriki should stand out like a beacon to him. So where was he?"

The man leant back and sighed. Naruto wondered whether or not he was actually going to be tortured or just talked at. Even so, it was interesting enough and far more pleasant than being hurt.

"Then a couple of weeks ago one of our little people in Orochimaru's main hideout tells us about someone who infiltrated his hideout and killed my brother. Poisoned."

The man leant forwards, the red eyes somehow becoming more intense and burning even brighter. It was like something ripping into his soul. He wasn't going to be intimidated by something like that though.

"At first I thought such a thing was impossible. Not only is such a hideout near impossible to locate and infiltrate for even a day, let alone the length of time he had to have been there. Nearly three years. That was incredible in itself.

But to then poison someone in that place? To poison a snake summoner who is the apprentice to a man who comes up with deadly poisons and another man who is probably the second most brilliant medic in the entire world? That was what caught my attention. Nobody should be capable of that. Nobody would dare conceive of it being possible."

The man stood, a short katana blade in his hand, held facing the ground. The sky seemed to be made of fire now and he felt like his hair was on fire. The air was acrid and sulphurous and he felt like he was choking on it.

"So I paid my old partner a visit. It turned out he had finally captured a clone of the person who had infiltrated and undone him. He told me some interesting information."

Naruto didn't blink as the katana made a few neat cuts. His shirt fell away in tatters and burst into smoke and crows as it left. That made for interesting watching, but the man now knew more than he wanted.

The man played the tip of the katana on the spiral that adorned his stomach.

"Apparently the boy in question had a large amount of seal matrices on his body. A very large, very strong, eight pronged seal that could only have been put there by a master as skilled as the Fourth Hokage."

The tip moved along to the outside seal, blocky and built like a fortress.

"And some other seals which nearly completely blocked his chakra down to minimal levels. What he didn't mention was this."

He indicated the Memory Eating Seal.

"And it's been used hasn't it? That is...abhorrent. Yet I am not here to judge your failure. What could drive you to such lengths I wonder? What scares someone who spends three years in a rat-hole in the base of a missing nin that much? What causes fear in the fearless one? Apparently you didn't even say anything on the torture slab beyond your serial number."

He walked back to the plain throne and sat, cocking his head.

"Well you are a mystery aren't you? I must say I was fortunate to find you in the haze of chakra. You're good at hiding, but not good enough. My eyes strip away a lot of the illusion and give you a slightly different glow in the light. Your eye too. I cannot fault you for being found by me, I am one of a small number of people skilled enough to notice you. That you should be proud of."

Naruto tried to shrug but still couldn't move. So this was Itachi Uchiha. This was the most feared missing nin Konoha had to offer. Apparently he liked to talk a lot and pose a lot of questions. Yet he felt a bizarre kinship with the man.

"So now I find my brother's killer is someone I have to capture for my organisation. If my partner were not otherwise engaged you would have your limbs cut off and be carried away nearly dead."

Naruto showed no reaction. There had to be a way to escape the genjutsu.

"If you think there's a way out of this jutsu there is. Either I stop it, I die or seventy two hours pass. You cannot break it; your mind and senses are under my control. I could undo the memory eating seal or have you kill yourself. I've done the latter before."

That meant he just had to last seventy two hours. That was as long as Orochimaru and his men had done before killing him. He could last this.

"You think you can last this? Your outermost thoughts are not hidden from me, although I would require more effort to get deeper than that."

That was getting annoying.

"I can put you through more pain than Orochimaru could in an instant with a flick of my mind."

There was a moment of total agony that drew a cry from Naruto. That was bad. That was very bad. Still, he was sure it could be worse.

"It could very much well be. Tell me, why did you kill my brother?"

He would not yield under torture. He prepared himself for more pain.

"I don't want to break you to get the information out of you. Tell me the truth and this can go without pain. I just want an answer to that question."

He knew how to be interrogated.

"Naruto. Serial number 002953. Rank: Chunin."

Itachi just sighed and the agony returned for ten seconds. Naruto counted through the growl of pain he let out.

"Don't just give me that. Give me an actual answer. I could rip it out of your head you know, I'm no specialist so not much will be left of use. Just give me the answers and this can end."

His voice was quickly becoming hypnotic and he blanked it out with a furious effort. He still had some control. Itachi looked a little surprised and he took some solace that he could resist.

"You are stronger than you let on, but you cannot last. So far I haven't been trying properly. Fighting like a rat in a corner."

The man was so calm and so in control Naruto found himself feeling a pang of respect towards him. This was how Naruto would have hoped to carry out an poeration. Calm, collected, objective and efficient.

The agony doubled for a full minute. The man was standing, holding the katana outstretched, the tip touching the Memory Eating Seal.

"Tell me or I unleash the one thing you fear; something that terrifies you!"

He couldn't face that yet. He wasn't ready.

Itachi relaxed into the throne again.

"Now, why did you kill my brother?"

"It was my mission."

Itachi tilted his head to the other side.

"No it wasn't. You think it was but it wasn't. You've fooled yourself. Let's go back shall we? The memories are already in your mind. Let's take a look again shall we?"

The world swam again and there was rain. Itachi floated above the valley on his stone throne as he watched the scene.

It was all from his perspective, and that was disorienting. He was behind his own eyes with no control, knowing what he was going to do. He tried to force his finger back but couldn't.

He saw the crossbow quarrel hit Baka and he winced. He didn't like this memory at all, but he'd kept it. He'd relived it and dreamed it before, but never this vividly.

He saw himself take one fleeting glimpse back before ploughing onwards.

The world faded again.

"That was interesting. You kept going on the mission when any other shinobi would have stopped. If you'd gone back then you would be better of perhaps?"

"No. I had to complete the mission, making any required sacrifices."

"Even unto death?"

"If I had to."

Itachi smiled a little.

"I wonder if it will ever come to that. Your life or your mission. Although..."

Itachi paused as he considered something.

"I think you'll figure it out for yourself. Eventually you'll find the void in your memory and wonder. I believe the seal will undo itself when you want to remember badly enough, and I think I know what you'll see."

Itachi stood and stretched.

"But back to the matter at hand. Why did you carry on? Certainly not duty, your mind was in chaos. That memory. Yes. You were torn until you found your hidey-hole in the base. So why keep going?"

"It is my purpose."

"Purpose to what?"

Itachi snapped. Turning to face him with fiery eyes again. He was again taller, far away and near and small and fire and smoke. He was all around and nowhere. Naruto's sense struggled to keep up.

"Purpose to do missions. Purpose to kill."

"No."

The agony flared up again. As it finished he panted and hung from where Itachi had him bound with his mind.

"You were not doing it simply out of duty. There was something more driving you. Think deep and find the answer before my patience runs dry."

His voice was a snarl now. The angry snarl of a wolf preparing to lunge and rip and tear until nothing was left.

He thought deeply as Itachi seemed to prowl around him. Why had he felt to driven? What had he felt when...the answer came to him. A word he had heard and knew the definition of but not the feeling.

"Redemption."

The world calmed and Itachi was there in his thrown, head tilted gently to one side with a small smile on his face.

"Good."

The slight constant pain stopped.

He found himself standing opposite Itachi in a void like environment. The colour wasn't white, but it wasn't anything else. It was colourlessness and indescribable he was standing on nothingness that stretched for eternity.

"Now we can talk more civilly. I do not wish to capture you, even though that is my purpose. My associate knows nothing of this, nor ever will. Your team will not find me; do not get them to look. This conversation is between us. You will speak nothing of it to anyone."

Naruto nodded warily.

"One day I will end you Naruto, of that much you can be assured. For the moment, consider me your ally. Here is what I am going to do."

Naruto listened as Itachi explained his part.


	37. Breaking Point

Rain began to fall on the valley as the last ebbs of the battle faded. Steam coagulated into thick low cloud that dropped into the valley. There was an eerie calm over the valley as it faded to reveal scarred land beneath.

The ANBU team regrouped. Naruto found the other three with his eye, and joined them quietly. Hare jumped a little when he saw Naruto.

"You need to stop being that quiet Lion."

Naruto saw no reason to, but it was etiquette to lie about such things.

"Sorry."

That was right wasn't it? Talon shrugged.

"Well, we need to start tracking them. We do not engage them; we stay far away and find out where they are taking that Junchuuriki."

Naruto nodded and activated his Byakugan.

He could see the figures moving off in the distance in no particular hurry. Their captive was slung unceremoniously over a shoulder by the swordsman.

He moved and the ANBU team followed his tracking. Shadowing was easy enough when his targets were not looking for them. Although what Itachi had told him was troubling.

A group of S-ranked shinobi were looking for him. Now Itachi knew who he was. At least Itachi was not directly against him for the moment.

He ducked into more cover as he followed at close to his maximum range. He checked the sun briefly. They were heading southwards, so could be about to go into Grass. Ame or even the borderlands with Suna.

The rock was slowly changing as they followed their prey, and soon storm clouds drew in on the horizon.

Their prey was tireless, and so were the ANBU. The rain began to fall and Talon's voice crackled in his headset as Naruto relentlessly followed.

"Naruto, regroup. They're heading into Ame and following there is a bad idea. Ame is not a nation friendly to intruders."

Naruto checked his motion.

"Surely we need more detail that simply the nation they operate out of?"

He heard the sigh into his earpiece.

"Yes, but that is not our mission scope. This is above our level."

"We're black ops. What level is higher?"

The sigh was deeper and more frustrated.

"Politics. We head south into Suna and get back into Konoha as soon as possible. Akatsuki have been identified as a dangerous threat, and so we need to get the info back. Plus Iwa just lost a Junchuuriki. Reporting that is part of our mission."

Naruto felt compelled to go on but fought it. He wanted to follow and hide and scope for another three years, it felt natural now.

He nearly moved towards the rain, and stared at the city that was on the edges of his vision. It almost seemed to beckon to him.

He could go in, and hide, and maybe he'd find more redemption.

He recalled Itachi's words to him. The man's vision and purpose. He had to think logically and leave the place alone.

With a final glance, he stopped himself and returned to his team.

* * *

The winged figure watched him go out of the rain before taking flight. Wings flapped gently to propel her back towards the high towers of Ame's main cities.

The intruders had been spotted the instant they had touched the outer reaches of the rain, although it had taken longer to really spot them. The one at the front was elusive.

They had left, and she had not needed to engage in conflict with them, which was pleasing. She did not give battle lightly.

Still, the fact that Itachi and Kisame had been tracked back to Ame would displease the rest of the group. Now Ame would undergo some investigation from whichever village the shinobi were from.

They were probably Konoha shinobi given that Suna barely existed anymore and nobody else had the proximity. The one country where they didn't know where the Junchuuriki was at all.

She flapped gracefully through a high open window and settled on the ground, the wings unravelling and unstitching into a thousand sheets of paper. She shook the worst of the rain from her cloak as she turned to the other figure there.

"Pein-sama."

The other figure nodded to her.

"Konan. What of the interlopers?

"They retreated shortly. I believe they were a Konoha ANBU team."

The figure showed no emotion at all.

"They are of no concern. Itachi and Kisame return with the second Iwa Junchuuriki. We are going to perform the sealing soon."

She nodded. They had to gather the beasts for peace. She regretted that violence was ever necessary for their task.

They began to walk to the great sealing chamber beneath the tower. Citizens of Ame bowed or ducked out of their way as the God and his Angel walked amongst them. Murmured whispers of praise followed them.

The great chamber was empty and vast, fully a hundred metres deep and at least a few hundred metres in every direction.

A figure at the bottom of the chamber placed their hands on the ground and summoned the statue. Soon the others would arrive.

They took their positions on the outstretched bone fingers as the other members of Akatsuki arrived. She knew them all, although each wasn't what you could call a friend. Akatsuki wasn't really a place for friends.

Deidara, Sasori, the Zombie Brothers, Zetsu, Itachi and Kisame. All deadly shinobi in their own right, and working in pairs they could cover what few weaknesses existed.

Kisame dumped the body before the statue and Pein began the sealing.

Chakra ebbed from the stricken Junchuuriki and into the statue. Pein began to speak.

"Another beast will soon be sealed. What beasts remain?"

Itachi spoke in a deep monotone, his eyes concentrating on the task at hand.

"We have now captured the Four Tails, Five Tails, Six Tails, Seven Tails and One-Tails. That means the Two, Three, Eight and Nine remain free."

The other members nodded. Pain continued.

"We know their locations do we not?"

Itachi kept speaking.

"The Two and Eight Tails remain in Kumo. The Three Tails has yet to reform since Yagura's death."

"And the Nine Tails?"

"Remains hidden."

Pain turned to look at Zetsu who didn't look back at him.

"Still? This is taking you longer than I would expect Zetsu."

"The Nine Tails is _proving more tricky_ than we thought. We _can find him eventually. _He must be in Konoha."

"Do so as soon as this is finished."

Zetsu nodded.

"Hidan, Kakuzu, you will go into Kumo to capture the Two-Tails. Deidara, Sasori, you will travel to Konoha in order to obtain information about the Nine-Tails with Zetsu. You may use whatever force you need to."

Deidara looked pleased about this.

"Itachi, Kisame. Your job will be to capture the Nine-Tails should Deidara and Sasori draw it out and fail to capture it. Wait until then before doing anything more."

Itachi didn't look around, much as he hadn't through the entire process.

"Understood Leader-sama."

The Akatsuki returned their focus to the task of extracting the Tailed Beast.

* * *

The journey back had been mercifully uneventful for Naruto and the ANBU team. They had moved with renewed urgency that came with the burden of knowledge they held.

The fact they didn't decided to really wait to and just barged into Tsunade's office, and into a scene of furious debate.

"Give me the damn sake Shizune."

"Get the paperwork done Tsunade-sama."

The ANBU paused in the doorway as they watched Tsunade frantically searching her entire office for the rumoured drink. Was now a good time to back out and knock politely.

Naruto merely walked in and stood in front of Tsunade directly.

Her search paused and Talon waited to see what would happen next. After all, the Legendary Sucker had a reputation for a short temper. He decided to sneak a glance in Shizune's direction instead. She met his gaze with an exasperated expression and a palm to her face.

"What do you want? I'm busy."

"Reporting from our mission Hokage-sama."

The fist was cocked back. Naruto didn't flinch or move.

"We encountered the Akatsuki."

The fist gently dropped away.

"Shit."

"What does excrement have to do with this situation?"

Tsunade went from angry to confused to realisation in about five seconds, with every in-between stage shown on her face.

Talon coughed in a way that sounded suspiciously like he was trying very hard not to laugh as Tsunade sat behind her desk and swept everything off it with one movement. Shizune signed and started picking up the bits of paper as best she could.

"Talon. Mission Report. In full. Now."

Talon gave the report. The few days of travel and finding nothing in Iwa territory were dealt with in short order before he launched into an explanation of the battle, Hare chiming in with his observations of the fight as well.

Tsunade noted it down, a thoughtful expression on her face.

Talon then spoke about the pursuit and his stopping at Ame. Tsunade nodded in satisfaction.

"So Iwa has lost a Junchuuriki. They probably won't tell anyone about that for some time. Ame is worrying though. Shizune, fetch Jiraiya for me, you know where to look."

Shizune left and Tsunade put her fingers together in thought.

"We were lucky that virtually nobody knows who our Junchuuriki is or you might have been in trouble Naruto."

Naruto kept himself in check. He was going to lie to the Hokage because it was for the best. His encounter had to be kept secret.

"Indeed."

"I assume you successfully remained hidden?"

"Yes. I appear not to have been captured."

She nodded.

"Talon, your team is dismissed. I expect a full written report as soon as you can make it. Naruto, I need to talk further with you."

The ANBU left, Talon throwing a short glance back at Naruto who wasn't looking. Tsunade leant over the desk and he kept his eyes firmly meeting her gaze.

"I read your report. I scarcely believe it, but I read the whole thing. Shizune has read it at least three times over. However we are both dissatisfied with it. Shizune because she wants more of it to read and me because something was missing from it."

"The document covers my entire time in the base."

Tsunade smiled.

"I need to know what happened on the way back when Hinata's team found you. They found you having what sounded like a seizure in the forest before you blacked out. What happened then? Without those final few hours the report is currently incomplete."

He remembered.

He'd been running through the forests, unsure of what territory he was in. He'd run and run as if an army were at his heels.

Then the shadow clone had burst and...

"Naruto?"

He regained his focus and controlled himself.

"I was returning from the base, and was unsure of the territory I was in. I was hoping to reach a major road so as to navigate back to Konoha.

A shadow clone I had in Orochimaru's base expired and that must have prompted my reaction."

Her gaze narrowed. He realised the explanation wasn't good enough.

"Must have? You sound unsure about this."

"I am unsure Hokage-sama. My memory of the event is hazy. The shadow clone had been under torture from Orochimaru's forces."

He'd known what had done it since the conversation with Talon in the hospital. The pain in his side was flaring up again. He had to not show it this time.

He realised a moment later that trying to hide it from the best medic in the world wasn't going to work. He'd been lucky that Shizune had inspected him the first time.

Tsunade advanced on him swiftly.

"Show me your side."

He raised the shirt and felt the chill air hit the burning flesh. It was deeply uncomfortable. He heard the intake of breath as she examined his side. She drew back, her face turned away from him and shaking.

He realised she was shaking.

"You idiot. You used it. You used the seal. You did that."

She looked at him with disbelieving eyes. Sadness and disgust ran through her face like a shadow.

"And you don't even know what caused you to do it do you? You took the easy way out. Jiraiya is going to remove that seal and you are going to face that memory."

That was unexpected and made him shake a little.

"If I am hiding from it how bad do you think it is? I can remember almost all of the torture inflicted on me by Orochimaru's torturers. What could be worse than that?"

His voice echoed around the room and he realised that he had shouted that last sentence extremely loudly. He felt the shaking course through him like a fiery current.

She looked shocked, her eyes wide. She stopped walking away and knelt, looking into his eyes. He could see the flecks of tears forming a little.

"I don't know. Whatever it is, keeping it in is going to be worse for you. From what Jiraiya has told me, that seal can be broken accidently if you dwell on it too much. If that happens on a mission you will experience it again. That will get you killed. Until you deal with it, you will not go on missions."

Naruto wanted to fight it and run, never stopping to be away from this conversation. So he did.

He was out of the window and into the night before Tsunade could grab him. She looked at the curtains as they rustled gently in the breeze.

Her fist broke the floorboard it hit and had Shizune rush back into the room to find her master kneeling by the broken board, her hand bleeding from the splintering impact.

"Tsunade-sama! What...?"

"He's out there and he's scared Shizune. Get Kakashi, Anko and Talon out searching now. Also fetch me team 8."

"Who?"

"Just do it! I've made a terrible mistake."

That was the tone reserved for surgical emergencies, the tone that was obeyed instantly. Shizune started running.

* * *

_A/N_

_So with the manga going pants on head insane, with extremely odd circumstances flying around (Obito, Madara, Orochimaru etc.) needless to say I might modify what is going on later in the fic. Fortunately I haven't written that far ahead so won't be worrying about that for a bit._

_For those wondering how much worse things can get for Naruto (and how much harsher Tsunade can look), don't worry. This is probably about as bad as it gets. Things get better from here on out._

_I further encourage you all to review and comment, and please, please get an account so I can reply via PM. I try not to have too many A/N so as to avoid bulking the word count with non-story stuff._

_This said...to the reviewer called ConcernedCitizen, I feel I need to thank you for your review, because I feel what you've written is some of the best feedback I could have. I apologise (only a bit though) if the story makes you feel uncomfortable, but it's high praise that it evokes proper emotional response from my readers, not just token enjoyment. I hope that the rest of the fic really fulfills its promise. Because (SPOILER WARNING) he is our protaganist. He is the main character. He will get better and win. Because he is the "hero" of the story. If he doesn't triumph, the whole story is worthless. He will overcome his demons, he will rise above all opposition. It may not be a fairy tale victory, but he will win. I just have to make everyone believe it. Dattebayo. _


	38. Crimson Mist

He kept running. He didn't know where he was going to run to, or whether or not it was a wise or logical decision, but he started running.

He was going flat out and wanted to be going faster. He was still jinking about because he knew someone would try to follow him. He dropped a scent bomb just to be sure and tracked through it a half dozen times before sprinting for the training grounds.

Lots of cover. Lots of space. Easy to see people coming.

Lots and lots of places to hide.

Lots of places to be alone.

Tree branches snapped as he barrelled through them, not caring for the sting of the impacts. He could heal, he would not be caught.

He was angrier than he had ever felt and the restriction from the seal was working overtime as the rage began to wake something dormant within him.

Naruto's hand reached the grip of his tanto and it felt good. When had he last had a chance to really train?

There was a training log standing near the edge of a copse of wood. He felt the urge to practise some sword strokes.

He twisted left and right as he slashed furiously. Each cut was made in pretence of a different enemy. Tall, short, each cut made to strike a vital area precisely. He continued to hack away. His blade bit into the wood with precision every time. The once perfect surface soon was covered in precise cuts and notches.

His arm was beginning to tire and he put the tanto back into its holder. He began to practise his limited taijutsu knowledge. He sent kick after kick into the post, spinning and ducking and striking at different heights.

Then he felt a presence near him and spun towards it instead, readying his hands into a knife edge to catch his attacker. Hands caught his blow and turned them aside.

Whoever this was, they were going to be fighting him.

He swept a leg at the figure, who leapt over it before he struck upwards with a fist. His fist was caught, and he rolled under the strike that followed it up, grabbing the hand to bring them over his head.

They landed neatly and caught him in the stomach with a kick of their own. He felt a flare of pain light up where it had hit and it felt good.

He doubled back and drew his tanto again. The figure was coming for him once more, he knew this person but he didn't care.

The jumped over the thrust and his arm went numb with the gentle touch he couldn't avoid. He dropped the blade and ducked under the next strike, using his other arm to drag the assailant over himself.

She bounced off the ground and rolled back upright. Her face was set in concern and her mouth was moving.

He realised he hadn't been hearing anything. Just empty, informationless noise. Something in his belly felt hot and angry, his main seal was doing something. He thought he heard a low growl deep within his subconscious but forced it out of his head with a grunt. He looked up, the moment of concentration letting him see his assailant moving back into for a series of attacks.

He realised who it was just in time to be struck by a series of Juuken strikes. He fell back with a grunt of pain as his assailant stood over him.

He saw his vision fade from red to the colours of the night, and the worried face before him became paler. The large eyes looked worried, just like Tsunade's had.

"Naruto-kun, sorry about the attack, but I didn't wa..want you to hurt yourself."

She began to undo the damage.

"I heard you training and looked. It was...what he did when he was angry."

Naruto realised it was. He'd seen Baka go through something similar. He felt suddenly drained and felt the bruises forming on his hands and legs. He reached into his pocket for something once his arm worked again.

The tin was opened, and Hinata stopped as he took a tiny amount of the remaining cream and applied it to his hands. There was so little left. Three years, he must have had some scrapes and cuts in that time but...he'd kept using it.

The pain subsided a little in his hands.

He fell back and sat, breathing deeply as Hinata sat next to him with a concerned expression on her face.

"What's wrong?"

"I am angry. I have never felt this uncontrolled before. I am calmer but...I lost control for the second time. The first time I killed him. The second I tried to kill you again. I am sorry."

She knew he was. He wasn't looking at her, she thought she saw the slight glistening of tears in and moonlight as they rested by his eye.

Her visit had been interrupted by the noise Naruto had been making, and she knew he needed someone more than the memorial did. Then again, she'd been in that place before once or twice.

"Anger isn't a nice place to be is it?"

"It is not. It is like the feeling I have about some of my kills."

She sat a little more comfortably opposite him. She realised she wanted to know more.

"Which one?"

"It was...nearly ten years ago now. Her face. I remember her face."

"Tell me. All of it."

He felt he had to. The voice compelled him to speak.

"I was on one of my earliest missions. It was a border post that Kumo holds up North. It was a couple of years after an incident where they had attempted to kidnap the Hyuuga heiress."

Something clicked in his mind.

"That was you was it not?"

She nodded. She didn't want to remember the fear and terror of the man's grip and angry voice any longer. She was past that.

"Apparently the commander of the post was stirring up trouble and had conducted some minor raids into Konoha territory. Three civilians dead in an outskirt town. Too remote for us to properly defend.

I was despatched to deal with the threat. I infiltrated the border post and planned to kill the man whilst he slept. Even the best shinobi sleep deeply enough that they can't react to a crossbow bolt two feet away.

It took a day to get into position, and then on the second night I put the bolt through his head. Barely a noise. He was dead and I made to escape.

I was young. I made a mistake that came with inexperience.

I checked my kill from too close, and didn't see her coming into the room."

Hinata drew breath again, she was finding it hard to whilst he told the story.

"She was a simple maid. She hadn't been sleeping and had heard a soft noise. I guess now she might have had some form of relationship to the man. It didn't matter; she walked in and saw me.

She saw the body of the man. There was a lot of blood and other entrails, but headshots do that to people."

Hinata didn't want to imagine too vividly.

"I was lucky that it took her a moment to process the scene. My crossbow wasn't within easy reach so I had to attack with a kunai. She screamed just before I got the strike in. She didn't resist.

It took three stabs to kill her. That is three too many. It should have been one slash across the throat and..."

Hinata held up a hand.

"Just...skip the description please?"

He nodded.

"I panicked and heard her scream and saw her face. There was more blood. I had to hide quickly before the rest of the garrison awoke. I could have died easily that night, but I lived. I lived because I could hide."

She nodded as he seemed to sag a little, his story told.

"You remember her though?"

"Yes. Every time I hear a scream from a woman I am reminded of it. I am reminded of her pain and my failure and the first time I felt fear. I haven't felt it often."

He felt Hinata stiffen and her head turn. He activated his Byakugan.

Approaching was Kiba and Shino. He made to move away but Hinata gently grabbed his arm. He resisted for a brief moment.

"Shino will stop Kiba from interfering if we are not fighting. He will understand."

"I...do not wish to be found."

She smiled a little bit.

"Surely being found is ok if they do not talk to you?"

He considered it. It was sub-optimal, but it was acceptable enough. He saw Kiba come into eye range and pause. Shino too saw them, and turned Kiba away. Hinata knew her teammates well.

"Your knowledge of your team's actions is appreciable."

Hinata nodded.

"I've known them for years now. It gets like that. Why were you angry then?"

He realised the reason and felt ashamed. He knew it was shame because it burnt at him like his failure to get a clean kill did.

"Hokage-sama told me that I was not allowed to take on any further missions because I made a bad personal decision."

That sounded odd.

"Was it a medical choice?"

"In a way. I used something I shouldn't have and...it's bad."

"What did you do?"

He wondered whether it was a good idea to tell her the truth or not. In the end, why shouldn't he?

"I..."

Was as far as he got as a figure bounded into the clearing and tackled Naruto to the ground in a tight embrace.

"You have a LOT of explaining to do Darkie-kun."

Ah. Anko-chan. That would scare him, but his major concern was his lack of oxygen intake due to being unable to breath.

He struggled a little against the death grip and got just enough air to avoid passing out.

"Anko-chan. Please loosen your grip."

"No."

Hinata stared. She'd never have a good chance to get the answer out of him unless. She turned back to the monument and realised what she had to do.

"Ano, Anko-san, I need to return home."

Anko realised Hinata was there. She smirked.

"Wasn't interrupting anything was I?"

Hinata looked shocked and a little pink. Naruto knew the answer, and summoned what little breath he had left.

"Yes, but it is too late now."

Anko's grin widened and Hinata looked utterly confused and very pink. He realised he must have done something wrong. He'd ask her about that later.

Anko's grip loosened enough for him to breathe somewhat normally. Then he was slapped in the face a couple of times, the hits punctuated with words.

"Where. Have. You. Been?"

"My mission went on longer than expected. Please stop assaulting me."

She let up a little.

"Why did you escape T&I? How did you escape T&I? Seriously what the hell?"

"I escaped because I needed to report to the Hokage. I escaped using my skills and a henge, and I have not been to hell. If I have I do not remember it."

She looked at him and smiled.

"Still the same Darkie-kun?"

"I think so. I have the same DNA and limbs as before."

She smiled wider.

"Tsunade sent us out looking for you. You seem to have found Hinata ok. What's going on there?"

"She found me whilst I was training," that was at least one way of putting it, his hands were still bleeding a little, "and then we talked. She is a friend, I guess."

"Friend or _friend_?"

"What is the difference?"

Anko smiled. He had no idea still. Then again, he probably didn't run into any nice ladies whilst in Orochimaru's base.

"Well friends is what we are. _Friends_ is something a little bit more...special."

Naruto had heard the term before, his brain began to pick up the clues more quickly now, noting all previous interaction. Particularly a conversation with Talon.

"Are you implying sexual relations between myself and Hinata-san?"

Anko grinned widely.

"That far already? You've only been back a week, and some of that has been on a mission."

"How do you know that?"

A shadow of embarrassment crossed her face.

"Tsunade-sama."

"Lie. Was it Talon?"

She stared at him for a moment.

"I'll stop asking questions about Hinata-_chan_ if you never bring that up again."

That seemed fair, yet her accusations had been incorrect, if he was reading them correctly. Still, it seemed the issue was not conducive to polite conversation.

"Agreed."

Anko smiled a more friendly smile.

"It's good to see you alive. Although I take it you've done something to make her angry."

"Hokage-sama?"

"Yes. The floor was in several pieces when we got there. She was in tears. It takes a lot to do that to her. I think she cares more about you than you expect."

"Her response is too emotive for me to consider it the correct one."

"I heard what you did. It is. You know it is."

He'd known it from the moment he'd realised. He had made the biggest mistake of his life and he was too afraid to undo it.

"It is. I do not wish to undo it."

"You have to. You know it will only be worse in time."

She was right but he couldn't fight it. He could talk to her but...he found himself wishing he was talking to Hinata instead. She was calm and made him want to talk.

"Indeed."

She got the hint. She was surprised he'd even made it like that.

"If you want to talk, come to me when you're ready ok?"

"I will Anko-chan."

She ruffled his hair, noting the unwashed spikiness that had grown since he'd last cut it back. She wondered how long it could get if left. Goodness knows it could become a mane of hair.

"Good. She has a mission for you when you are ready to talk to her. Or more likely when she's ready for you."

He nodded. He missed the warmth of his bed and felt the need to stay there for some hours.

He went home in his usual manner, avoiding all human contact. He found his window had been repaired by someone and the place dusted and cleaned.

He didn't care. The soft orange covers of his bed awaited him and he welcomed them with open arms.

"T-Tsunade-sama?"

She looked up from the desk at the nervous girl who had crept into her office. Tsunade had pulled herself into her chair and was trying to get something useful done. It wasn't working.

"Hinata, what brings you here?"

"I...I talked to him. I accept my mission."

Tsunade considered telling her about the memory seal but decided against it. Naruto could tell her that in his own time.

"Excellent. The overall purpose is to ascertain the final day or so of his mission, which we have been unable to work out. Be gentle and careful, and not direct."

She passed Hinata a fairly large book, it was entitled, 'The Tale of the Hidden Shadow'. She looked up questioningly at her commander.

"It's a copy of his report bound into novel form. It's not due to go on sale for another year, but it's his report faithfully reproduced word for word. Read it, and find out what the final bit should have read like. If anyone asks, it's something I suggested you read. Your father would accept that excuse."

Hinata nodded. The book was quite thick.

"Also, see if you can help him through any other issues he may have. It will help you as well Hinata. I'll need you to keep training and going on regular missions as well, and I may add him to your team."

She nodded again. She didn't regret any of the hardship, and her knowledge that she wouldn't be a shinobi right now had been shattered when he had come back into her life. She barely remembered wanting to quit. She had purpose again. She turned to leave with renewed energy.

"Oh and Hinata?"

"Yes Hokage-sama?"

"Don't compare him to someone else who isn't here anymore. It's time to move on from the past."

Those words shocked her a little. Move on? Had she held on? He had been a lot to her, and his presence had given her strength.

"Hai."

She left the office and Tsunade relaxed a little bit. He was safe; she was going to council him.

That and she would have to be careful they didn't get too close to one another until the mission was completed.


	39. Diminuative

He awoke to the darkness of his room and to the feeling of his room gently vibrating.

That woke him up better than a thousand buckets of water to the face. That meant something big was happening outside.

The room shook again. He could smell rubble and a hint of smoke.

Definitely big.

He got his equipment ready and left in a hurry. First, he was going to find out what was going on. Then he was going to do whatever his duty was. This wasn't a mission, this was defence of Konoha.

He liked the fact the logic he'd just used had been twisted into his favour.

He activated his Byakugan to see a bloom of chakra erupt from the outskirts of the village. There was a large jutsu being employed there then. He checked all around and saw something in the sky. A figure on a dragon?

That was interesting and unexpected.

He realised it would take someone pretty special to just attack Konoha like this. Not only was it likely full of elite shinobi, but it had a good intelligence network and Root protecting it. He wondered how odd it was that his former master hadn't seen this coming or intercepted it early.

Still, causes could wait. Right now, he needed solutions. Konoha was under attack, and he had to defend it. The person might be powerful, but his objective didn't necessarily have to be to kill them outright.

He needed to find out what they wanted, and get them away from Konoha to prevent damage. Hopefully he'd get some backup.

As he thought that, a fireball jutsu flew to one side of the man on the clay dragon that gently manoeuvred it to avoid the clumsy jutsu, the flight looking effortless and gentle.

He then threw down a white object that exploded.

So he was an explosive expert who used...clay? Naruto considered his options.

There were probably other shinobi in the village better suited to taking the man on, but it was his duty to try.

He readied his bow and moved, judging the distance until he definitely within range. He attached an explosive tag to the bolt; the extra power would certainly make up for the loss in accuracy. It would also get the man's attention far more easily.

He aimed carefully, taking into account wind conditions, gravity and the man's slight movement.

He breathed out as he fired the first shot.

The man reacted to it by dropping a little. The tag exploded close enough to shake the man up. Naruto almost smiled, his foe was cocky. Then again, his trick wouldn't work twice.

He moved, throwing up a genjutsu to hide himself as he rolled onto another rooftop, this one closer to the edge wall of the village.

His foe was distracted by more jutsu from below. He could see the cloak the man was wearing now.

Akatsuki.

So they had come either for him, or for information about him.

He aimed the bow again and fired three shots in quick succession, the first at the man then two at where he suspected the man would go.

He felt a touch of annoyance when the man used his clay dragon as a shield, the soft clay simply absorbing the impact of the bolts.

So the man could see if bolts carried explosive tags. He was observant, but still hadn't seen him.

He moved to another rooftop, very close to the edge of Konoha now. He was almost directly below the man.

He fired a bolt with an exploding tag attached and watched as the man swerved out of the way more vigorously this time. Hopefully the man could establish a pattern that he could crack.

He leapt onto the walls and ran up to the top. He was probably visible here, even with his cloak becoming the same grey as the walls.

He looked up at the man who was looking straight at him.

The dragon swooped low, swerving to avoid Naruto's pot-shot attempt to shoot the man off the beast.

The beast swooped down to hover in front of him, the man looking him in the face from about five metres away.

"Do you like my-"

He ducked as Naruto tried to shoot him point blank.

The man leapt off the dragon, letting it fall to the base of the walls. Naruto realised what was going to happen next and dived behind the nearest cover before bracing himself.

The explosion ripped out half the base of the wall and much of the surrounding earth. The vibration shook the stone walls and they began to fall outwards. He found himself leaping from fragment to fragment as he tried to stay on top as some twenty metres of wall began to fall downwards.

He reached the bottom and immediately replaced himself with some splintered wood, which promptly disintegrated in an explosion from a waiting clay bomb.

"Come out! Actually don't! I'll blast you out unless you tell me where the Nine-Tails is."

Naruto considered his position.

He was slightly hidden in the woods, but the man could simply level the area and kill him in the process. His opponent was cocky and liked big displays of power. That was useful. He looked at the man with his Byakugan.

His hands had mouths. That was just anatomically wrong. They were...eating, for want of a better word, the clay and it came out charged with chakra. That explained the explosive properties.

From the satchels by his sides, he only had so much of the clay. Presumably it was specially prepared beforehand.

So his opponent was a long range explosives expert with limited ammunition.

He considered his options.

Outright kill in combat was out immediately. Too many unknowns about other jutsu and skills the man had.

He would fight him like he had fought Neji that long time ago. Only this time he would have to try and kill him, or survive until someone else could.

The man was tossing a clay bomb gently from hand to hand in a bored fashion.

"C'mon. It'll be a blast. Just tell me what I need to know and I won't blow you up. Or maybe I will. Art doesn't compromise after all."

He tossed the bomb idly over his shoulder and some bushes exploded.

Naruto made a clone and backed off. Test the opponent. Know him. Find his weakness and strike.

The clone leapt out, tanto blade poised to strike from above. The man ducked and turned.

"Ooh, you think that tiny blade gives you an advantage here?"

The clone lunged forwards again, attacking furiously. The man was dodging with some ease, and starting to look bored.

Naruto knew the clone's next order. Try enraging the man. Work out what he enjoyed and belittle it as best he could. He considered the insults that the ANBU team shared, and decided to try something similar.

"Your hands are abnormal, and so is your face."

A fine start to the insults. Naruto wondered why the man nearly laughed at the insult as he kept dodging.

"Is that the best insult you have Shorty?"

Ok, so physical deformity wasn't it. He crossed it off the checklist of insulting things he could try. He remembered some of the more anatomical banter he'd heard amongst the ANBU.

"Your penis is of diminutive stature. As are your skills."

The man ducked under another swing and caught the clones arm, pinning it behind his back in unorthodox style.

"Seriously? You're not good at this."

"I believe so, yes."

The man sighed as the clone henged into a kunai, slipped out his grasp and unhenged, thrusting upwards. He somersaulted out of the way of the strike.

"Not bad. Nothing compared to my art though."

The clone's Byakugan was active, and it saw the bomb coming. Naruto observed the battle carefully. He wouldn't reveal himself until it was entirely necessary.

The bomb missed his clone who decided to try hitting the man with a genjutsu. He realised he'd have to sacrifice the clone soon; its reserves were getting lower by the moment.

The man didn't dispel the genjutsu and just saw through it. Ok, genjutsu immune, or at least sight. The clone tried an auditory genjutsu.

The man leapt towards the clone who was doing his best to project the sound of a thousand crossbow bolts into the man's mind. Apparently he could hear that. Not entirely immune then.

Still, his clone couldn't use another jutsu for now, it's chakra low, and he'd rather not have it dispel until it had to.

The man caught the clone with a series of taijutsu moves, leading to the clone being locked into a submission grip.

"Talk."

"No."

The man sighed and snapped the clone's neck, causing it to leave existence.

He hit the ground angrily.

"A clone?"

Naruto hit the man with another auditory genjutsu, and whispered all around the man.

_'Yes. Was that all you had? Or is your art weak?'_

The man dispelled the illusion and threw bombs in every direction. Naruto moved to avoid being exploded as the undergrowth around Konoha exploded into firewood. There were some screams as an unlucky chunin who'd come out ran into it.

"Alright. You die you short-arse. C2!"

Another dragon formed. That was good, Naruto could deal with that. The man couldn't see him, and he could see the dragon.

Plus he might get some backup if they saw it. He idly wondered where everyone else was.

He kept moving, and began dodging away from the area the dragon was vomiting bombs onto.

Naruto fired another harassing bolt and karawimi'd away from the location before it once more dissolved into splintered wood and flying dirt. Apparently his foe made that clay last a long time before he had to make more.

He could see the man above scanning the forest for him. Without visual genjutsu, he had to rely on camouflage and swift relocation to prevent himself being spotted in the forest.

He was leading the man around the walls and slightly further out, towards his ideal battleground.

The forest of death had taller trees and bigger risks for the man to take. All he needed was to get the man into a fight on his terms.

How to do that? Would the man retreat once he was low on clay? Could he risk that happening?

He kept having to switch with various, short lived, objects as explosions roared around him.

The edge of the forest was getting closer, the trees a darker shade of wood and more menacingly tall.

He wondered how high the dragon could fly. It certainly had limitations, the shape was wrong for efficient flight. As he reached the taller trees he began to climb. Too many dangers below. Splinters like senbon needles could get thrown up by explosions, as could rocks that would have a similar effect to a shuriken.

He could see in his Byakugan the man was following him. He fired another bolt, trying his best to fire from lower. He didn't want to give away his height that easily.

He found a wide branch and stopped moving for a moment. He had about half a bandolier of ammunition left and the rest of his usual kit. That was acceptable.

He leaned out and hit the man with another auditory genjutsu. He had to pick his words carefully; the man would simply dispel it when he knew he was hit.

_'Your art is of inferior quality.'_

The angry yell and larger explosion let him know he'd hit the mark. That was good. He knew his opponents favourite thing and would insult it endlessly.

The man was descending lower on the dragon, hesitantly and slowly, unsure of Naruto's location.

"You think my art is inferior? Meet my greatest art then. C4!"

The giant man was cartoonish inflated and ridiculous. It was tall, and wide, and incredibly round. Naruto didn't really see the threat. The amount of chakra and clay required for such a clone meant it was likely hollow.

Then it collapsed into dust and Naruto realised the true danger.

Naruto saw the air around the man suddenly begin filling with chakra and started to move. He made a shadow clone to distract the man and they bolted through the trees. The glow was spreading quickly around him.

The man had seen the clone and was moving to block it off. He wanted to herd Naruto into the glow. How much chakra did this technique take? How much would the man have left afterwards?

The glow was spreading faster than he could run; he needed to find somewhere good to dive into. A small cave presented itself to one side and he dove into it, making a clone to keep running as he did so. He landed in the cave and rolled as the clone tried to get away from it. He didn't want to risk the explosion collapsing the cave.

He made himself ready to run from it if he needed to.

There wasn't an explosion as such. The area the chakra was in just disintegrated and disappeared as a billion tiny explosions ripped everything apart. Creatures great and small were destroyed in a sudden and confusing moment. After that, physics took over and the hot air and particles left moved upwards.

The gap left was suddenly filled with howling wind as pressure rebalanced. Naruto held on as dank air from the cave rushed outwards from behind him. Balance achieved, the air pushed out a little as things settled down.

The man landed his dragon in the centre of the clearing created. The fine dirt had become and dusty grey sand, and there was no more cover.

The man patted his dragon and laughed.

"I know you're still out there. Your clone disappeared before disintegrating."

The man was looking at the cave. Naruto realised he was cornered.

He considered running into the cave but that was a bad idea. An explosion would trap him and that was probably not a good place to be.

He silently cursed his lack of options when cornered. His summon were not combat specialists, even their strongest wouldn't pose any threat. His weapons could hold the man at bay, but he needed the cover.

He looked at his crossbow and saw the chakra conducting wire attached to the firing mechanism. He'd never been taught how to channel chakra through it. Could he work out how in, he checked the man's position, two minutes? Unlikely.

So he couldn't really run, he couldn't really fight and he was cornered.

The only advantage he had was the Kyuubi, and he didn't want to do that. Not yet. That was a definite last resort measure.

He needed time. More time would give him more options.

How could he gain more time?

He could talk.

But why would the man keep him alive?

He realised his option was to give the man some information. He was pacing closer.

"Come out little leaf. Come out and talk to me. I might just let you live."

Naruto slung the bow onto his back and walked into the open. His opponent looked faintly surprised.

"Ok. What do you need to know?"

The man looked at him, cocking his head.

"This doesn't normally happen. Normally you're meant to stay there and die after saying something like 'Nevermore!' or 'Over my dead body!'"

"Oh. Would you prefer that?"

The man laughed.

"Ohhh, a comedian. Well then, since you want to talk. Where is the Kyuubi?"

Naruto considered his options. He was, to this man, just another leaf nin. Yes he had genjutsu and shadow clones, but how special was that? The shadow clone was a high rank jutsu. He was likely a jonin to the man.

"It was killed by the Fourth Hokage and has yet to reform, like everyone from Konoha knows."

The man laughed again.

"You don't really believe that do you? You think he could kill such a beast?"

"He was able to defeat Iwa single nearly singlehandedly."

Although Naruto knew that Danzo had played a little part in that in the background. His father had been good, but the Root operations had been quietly working away in the background. It was amazing what a little rumour spreading and removal of calm heads could do.

The man looked angry at the mention.

"Iwa was a shitdump. That's why I left."

So Iwa missing nin then. Presumably that was where he had obtained the jutsu. Naruto saw the scratched headplate and had it confirmed. How had he missed that?

Naruto knew he had to play slightly dumb. The idea was distasteful to him. He had to lie. He felt his pulse rise as the enormity of the situation began to dawn on him again. He was cheating death by the moment, and the margins were not very thick.

"He didn't defeat the Kyuubi?"

The man shook his head.

"Stop playing the dumbass. I know that you know he sealed it into a child."

He remembered Jiraiya telling him the truth about his father by accidently letting it slip and decided to do the same.

"That child is an outcast."

The man smiled widely and manically.

"See, you do know the child in question. They would be, about fifteen or sixteen. In fact, about your size shortarse. I think you know him."

All too well, Naruto considered. He decided to switch back to lying.

"He's an outcast. Why would I know him if he is?"

"But you know of him? Where does he go?"

Naruto tried his best to think of convincing ideas. Someone was approaching in the distance. He needed them behind the man for maximum effect

He began to gently walk around in a circle and the man laughed.

"Stay still or I blow you to pieces; can your one eye not see this bomb?"

He stopped. The threat was real.

"He goes here. I didn't know you were after him."

The man shrugged.

"I'm not, but my organisation is. Something about gathering all the tailed beasts."

"Oh."

The man narrowed his eyes.

"You don't seem surprised. You know more than I thought."

No sense pretending now then. Naruto had the bow in his hands and started firing. His opponent was fast with his work and a clay clone took the bolts, the metal shafts sticking in the clay statue.

It exploded, sending the bolts scattering in all directions. Naruto felt one pass near his head, the air turbulence shaking his hood.

Far too close.

The smoke hid the man and Naruto moved towards what cover remained. The man's leg nearly met him as he slid under it. His tanto caught the next blow. The hands, with their open mouths gaping and trying to gnash at him pressed against the flat of the blade.

He snuck a kunai into his other hand and struck for the man's hands, causing him to dance away before they could be hurt. A kick caught him in the ribs and sent him backwards. He rolled away. The figure was closer now, running fast. He had to keep the man's attention.

He rose up and reached for his blow gun. The man just batted it away. Naruto realised he was utterly outmatched and the next kick sent him stumbling backwards before another caught him under the chin.

He coughed a little blood up and stumbled away from the man. Buy time. Buy time.

The man attacking him walked slowly towards him.

"You're boring and not worthy of my art. Thanks for nothing."

Naruto saw the figure come in behind the man and take a great flying leap, arm cocked back.

"Thanks for talking you flashy idiot."

"What?"

He spun just in time to meet Anko's fist coming the other way and he recoiled, blood streaming from a broken nose.

"Happy to see me Darkie-kun?"

"Never happier Anko-chan. He's extremely dangerous."

* * *

_A/N This time with line breaks...for a chapter that is all one giant scene. Yeah, I forgot them last chapter which was a whoopsie on my part._

_So yes, Naruto finds himself in the first real action against an Akatsuki, and as expected, isn't exactly winning this one. In fact, he's getting a little pounded in taijutsu. We'll see how it resolved next time._

_A lot of people have been asking about what the pairing is in this chapter, and seemingly more importantly, is it going to be Hinata. This got me thinking about the role of Hinata in fanfiction, so I'll throw a mini essay on it on my profile like I've done before if people want to know more of my thoughts on her as a character._

_As always, review, flame, PM etc. I urge you all to get an account so I can reply via PM to any questions you have, which just makes me feel happier as a person. _


	40. Consequences

Anko slammed her hands to the ground.

"Shadow Snake Hands!"

Hundreds of snakes spewed from the ground and converged on the man who leapt over them, leaving a clay clone in his wake. The explosion sent snakes flying everywhere.

Anko leapt to meet and the two exchanged blows before they landed, still brawling fiercely. The man was stronger than Anko, but not by much. She was a lot more vicious. He threw her off and stood panting as she rose. A cut on his face trickled a little blood.

She had punched the lens he wore over his eye back into face, and his face now bled around the area. He tore the device away angrily.

"You bitch! That took me years to perfect."

Anko grinned.

"Oh you don't even know the half of it. Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

A huge serpent suddenly filled a fair portion of the forest. It stared at the man with large, hungry eyes and lunged. The man started running.

Naruto leapt up after it and Anko followed. Now he had the upper hand. The man would talk or he would die.

The serpent was fast, but the man was more nimble. Every lunge was avoided and tiny explosions rippled of the smooth hard scales and the beast gave an enraged hiss as some were broken or torn off by the constant tiny assault.

Naruto tracked him with his crossbow. He hungered for a good shot. The last one he had fired had missed. This one would hit. This one would stay true. He could feel it.

The tip of the bolt weaved around, following and tracking. But he was moving too fast, he needed to get closer.

Anko was following too, but even with the three of them they couldn't force the man to move where they wanted. The trees were too thick and too many to really force him around properly and trap him.

Anko fell back into line with him as they leapt tree to tree. She shouted to him as they weaved through the Forest of Death.

"Any ideas?"

"More backup."

"Any plausible ideas?"

"No."

They kept following the man. Despite keeping his aim, bouncing from tree to tree and tracking the man with his Byakugan, his brain whirred. A hundred scenarios were found, examined and found wanting again, then discarded into the cesspit of wasted thought.

He needed more space, or for the man to turn and run. The fact he hadn't simply made a dragon meant he was low on clay. That was a good thing. The fact he could only annoy the large snake was also good.

He stopped for a moment and placed his own hand down.

Fitch appeared in a puff of smoke on his shoulder.

"Move boy, keep moving and we'll talk on the way."

He did so, the rat clinging to his shoulder, the claws digging in slightly uncomfortably.

"How would you trap someone who doesn't want to be trapped?"

The rat considered the proposition and scratched his rat chin.

"You either force them to fight or you let them go and let them trap themselves. But be wary, you know what happens when you trap someone."

"They fight harder."

The rat nodded out of his vision.

"Be careful. I sense there is more to come from him. I will assist you in trapping him."

The rat leapt from his shoulders and into the trees around him. Naruto realised he didn't know the capabilities of one of his closest allies and mentally chided himself for it.

He kept is aim moving as the man kept going. Naruto felt glad that his stamina was now higher than his opponents. He realised he want to know their name.

Then he realised the plan.

"Anko, force him downwards!"

"Got it!"

The snake and Anko went high as Naruto kept chasing. How the man was keeping up with it he had no idea, but it didn't matter. You could only run so long.

He had left himself open, and Anko had capitalised. He could still taste his own blood, but that was a small price to pay.

Slowly the man descended, towards the ground. Twenty metres, fifteen metres, ten metres. Then he ran out of space.

He hit the ground and suddenly stopped running as something stopped him rising as fast as he could.

A carpet of rats littered the forest floor, running in a giant pack at least ten metres wide and twenty metres long. It was more rats than Naruto had ever seen. The snake plunged after him with Anko as they started weighting him down.

He threw them off, but the damage was done. He couldn't run any further.

Explosions began to litter the area, sending small furry bodies into the air a hundred at a time. The rats were relentless and swarmed closer, clawing and scratching at him, biting him where they could.

Anko got a good kick in and launched him a few metres, the rats closing in on his fallen body.

Then it all changed.

The man started laughing, rising slowly until he was standing despite the weight of rats. Fitch landed on Naruto's shoulder.

"Fire now boy, don't stare."

Naruto raised the bow and fired cleanly.

He watched as the bolt flew towards the man and impacted on his neck. The arterial spray thrown up as the bolt passed through his neck. The man gurgled slightly, his hands faltering in their last hand signs and keeled over.

He felt the pang of satisfaction as the memory of his last shot faded. This was him. He was in command.

The rats scattered as the snake lunged for them, seeing a thousand tiny snacks as opposed to allies. Anko dismissed her minion.

She surveyed the body.

"Not bad, perfectly clean shot."

Then he saw the chakra rise.

"Anko move!"

She leapt just as the body exploded, throwing her backwards. Naruto moved to catch her and was bowled over by the weight.

He felt the fatigue of the battle creeping up on him as he tried to rise. Fooled by a clone. His Byakugan searched for a signature and found one.

"Underground, he's moving away underground."

Anko rose blearily and stumbled a little. The smell of burnt hair and flesh was wafting from her. Fitch surveyed her body.

"She is in no state to continue. You must hunt him Naruto. Go. I will stay with her."

He turned but the rat's voice called out again.

"Other's approach. Three and a dog. Do you know them?"

He looked out and his heart leapt a little. Three familiar signatures were moving towards him at speed. He kept his eye locked on the faint patch that denoted his quarry. It was moving away slightly quickly now.

He began to move off slowly, making sure the squad could catch him. He heard his name called by Kiba and beckoned for them to catch him up.

He saw Shino and Kiba enter his peripheral vision and he smiled as the recognised the faces.

"Naruto! What the hell is going on now?"

"Tracking someone underground. He's weakened and we can take him."

He couldn't see her, his vision was at full stretch, but her voice was soothing to him.

"I can see him Naruto-kun. You can relax now if you need to, you look tired."

He let his Byakugan deactivate and felt his head feel lighter and more free, the headache from eye overuse wouldn't get any worse.

Hinata took up the lead, here teammates behind her. Naruto couldn't help but notice how Kiba was running differently to before. His leg was moving differently. It looked like Kiba was struggling with it a little more than he wanted to let on.

Despite being underground, the man was making good progress. Even so, Naruto knew he couldn't keep it up forever. The man was low on chakra. He would surface eventually.

Hopefully he couldn't sense them following him.

Naruto checked his bow was loaded and held it loosely as he followed. He was going to take the man's head off.

Shino checked behind and saw Naruto's intention.

"Naruto-san, it would be illogical to kill him immediately. If we can capture him, he undoubtedly holds a lot of valuable information. We need to try and extract that. I can drain him dry in short order, Hinata can then disable him."

He nodded.

"He is still dangerous. If it comes to it, I will not hesitate to kill him."

Shino didn't look round.

"Let us hope it does not come to that."

They kept following. Hinata was moving fast and differently to how he'd seen her move before. There was more freedom to it, more intensity.

Shino was the same as he remembered him. He felt a pang that he had missed so much time with them.

They were still the same team, although someone was missing.

"Where is Kurenai-sensei?"

Kiba turned a little. He could see the boy had grown older, the marks on his cheeks were more pronounced on a longer face.

"She's on a mission elsewhere, but we're good enough to look after ourselves. Right boy?"

The dog barked and Naruto then realised quite how big he now was. The dog was bigger than he was and slobbered a little as it ran. He took in how sharp the claws were and how easily it bounded alongside the shinobi.

Yet it too walked a little like oddly, like Kiba. He could see no deformity in the dog's legs though. It was healthy just walking oddly.

He looked back at Kiba and realised the dog was imitating his movements out of empathy. He'd never seen a better illustration of the concept.

But what was wrong with Kiba?

"Kiba-san, what happened to your leg?"

Shino looked at him sharply. His expression was hidden under his hood and sunglasses and Naruto had no idea what it was.

He heard the sigh from Kiba.

"It was that mission where everything changed Naruto. None of us made it out the same."

Hinata nodded from the front trying to remain focused on the task at hand. The figure was still moving underground, but he was slowing.

"Choji made it ok, but he came close to dying from exhaustion after using a clan technique. Neji took a pounding, and he actually came out of it better. I think the fact you beat him as well helped with that."

Naruto remembered the occasion. He had beaten Neji, but the boy had still been angry about it.

"Lee got...nearly destroyed. Both arms and a leg broken and he would have died if the guy beating him up hadn't gone to protect Sasuke. Seriously, he was out for a year."

Shino nodded and took up the tale.

"Kiba fought his opponent to a standstill for a long time until they got the advantage. The fact is he only lived because they wanted to kill him and Akamaru slowly. They tried to do it by eating his body away from the inside. His leg was...

"It will never be the same. I've accepted this Shino. I had it light compared to Lee and Shikamaru."

They all looked down. Even Hinata took a moment to look away.

Naruto didn't know what they who they were talking about. Was there another team his age he hadn't met?

"Who was Shikamaru?"

Kiba gave a small laugh.

"You never met him?"

"No."

Kiba continued the tale.

"He came an inch from death. His opponent was probably the worst for him and she had him beaten. He got outmuscled and he couldn't quite outthink her in time. He had to use tactics that he should never have had to use."

Naruto considered the proposition. It was just like what would have happened to him if he had been cornered. Shikamaru sounded like a thinker, like himself. He wished he'd been able to meet him.

"He detonated an explosive tag at point blank distance. He got just far enough away that it didn't kill him. But the damage..."

Kiba trailed off.

"It makes me look like I got a scratch."

Naruto considered this.

"What were the injuries?"

Kiba looked at Shino with a pleading expression for him to take over. Shino bowed his head.

"He lost an arm. He was lucky the blast cauterised the wound enough that he didn't bleed out. He was in a coma for six months. Six months. He's had to retire. He didn't even call it troublesome; he spends a lot of time alone these days. None of the people who went on that mission were ever the same again. Choji and Ino were..."

Shino trailed off too. The silence was tense.

"There were distraught. We all were. We nearly lost half our friends, and we lost one of them who was possibly the best of us all. We all miss him."

Shino and Kiba stared at Hinata. She was talking about it differently. Normally she would be in tears, or at least quiet. She seemed to have moved to a different place. There were still flecks of tears, but her words had been strong.

"We need to focus. He's rising."

Kiba looked at Shino and pinched himself with a wide eyed expression. Shino merely raised his hands a little before readying himself.

Hinata stopped and held up a hand. The team gathered to her.

"Shino, do you have a plan?"

Shino nodded.

"It would be logical to capture our opponent as opposed to outright killing him. We will surround him, and I should be able to drain him with my bugs. Then Hinata and Kiba can subdue him. Naruto will hold back until he is needed.

I will initiate any action, Naruto and Hinata can follow by using their eyes."

Naruto nodded. The plan was logical and he had expected no less. Shino and Hinata departed, leaving Kiba on his side. The boy's nose sniffed the air.

"I can smell him; he's close to breaking the surface. About fifty metres in that direction."

Naruto nodded. His head ached from overuse of his eye in combat.

Kiba rubbed his leg gingerly, and let out a small growl or irritation. Akamaru placed a paw on his hand softly, the soft pad of his paw pressing gently onto Kiba's hand.

He looked at his dog with a warm smile and ruffled the dog's head.

"You're right boy, no time to worry about a little pain. Naruto, can you get visual?"

He nodded and felt the throb of the headache intensify a little bit as his vision adjusted again. Hinata and Shino were in position, and Shino had begun to move inwards. The man had only just broken out of the earth, and his dull signature was rising unsteadily.

He was clearly tired. He shut off his eye as the team landed around the man who laughed.

"Oh you just do not give up. Fucking Hyuuga as well! Well this is going to be fun."

Shino spoke first.

"Surrender and will need not hurt you."

The man cocked his head and laughed.

"You think I'll surrender?"

He leapt for Shino and Kiba spun into his side, driving him down. The man wasn't a highly skilled ninja for nothing and kicked Kiba away. Hinata came in again, and the man being more circumspect against the Hyuuga girl.

Shino was manoeuvring, readying himself. Hinata leapt away from a punch and the bugs swarmed the man.

He thrashed but the bugs were locked in, absorbing more and more of his chakra. Hinata and Kiba stayed warily out of the way. Naruto kept his crossbow aimed for the swarm of insects.

Shino warily withdrew his insects from the man who was surprisingly still conscious.

He started laughing as the insects moved to surround Shino again.

"I've always wanted to do this to one of you bug freaks!"

Naruto realised the danger just in the nick of time.

"Shino! Scatter your insects!"

The tone and urgency got to Shino just in time as he scattered his swarm.

"KATSU!"

Every bug filled with the man's chakra exploded at once, filling the air with smoke. Shino fell with an anguished cry as some bugs which were too close caused him pain. Hinata and Kiba were knocked to the ground. Naruto kept his aim trained on the man.

Fortunately the man seemed not to have the energy to continue. He was still laughing on one knee. The bugs had done the damage, eating at open wounds, draining chakra, forcing them man down.

Naruto found himself resisting the temptation to shoot again and kill the man where he knelt. Hinata approached him cautiously, and he started to laugh.

"I would rather die."

He clapped his hands together and Naruto saw the chakra build-up.

He fired and for the second time his bolt caught the man squarely. The man wasn't moving, and this was an execution shot. It hit right where he aimed, between the eyes.

The man dropped, his hands pressed to his chest. Whatever techniques he had been about to use, Naruto suspected it would have been deadly.

Hinata ran to Shino, whose body gently smoked.

"Shino-kun, are you alright?"

Shino struggled to rise a little and groaned.

"I...am alright. My hive is nearly destroyed."

Naruto held his arm out and Shino took it, rising gently to his feet. They surveyed the defeated body of their opponent. Naruto could tell this one wasn't a clone.

He realised with a pang of regret he didn't know the man's name either. In fact, how many of the people he had killed had he known the name of? Sasuke for sure, but otherwise.

He decided it was a topic for future reflection. He was still on a mission, even if it was that was self imposed.

Hinata applied some paste to Shino's wounds, and his sigh at the pain relief was a welcome noise. Parts of his jacket had burned away, and more of his face than normal was visible. He seemed unsure of this.

Naruto dropped his own hood out of empathy. It felt right to do so when his comrade could not cover his own.

Shino dusted himself down a little.

"We should return to Konoha with the body and report to Hokage-sama."

Naruto nodded and picked up the body. It was a lot bigger than his own, and he staggered a little under the weight. Kiba chuckled.

"Don't worry Naruto, Akamaru can carry him easily. Don't strain yourself Shorty."

Hinata giggled a little. Naruto suddenly felt this was a little unfair.

"My size is to my advantage most of the time."

Kiba gave him an odd grin, but dropped it at Naruto's lack of reaction. Kiba helped the body onto Akamaru's back and they set off out of the Forest of Death.

Hinata kept her eyes open and guided them around anything that looked too dangerous. There were certainly enough reasons for this place to be described as the Forest of Death.

They found their way back to Anko who was sitting up and rubbing her side. She saw the body.

"Did you have to kill him?"

Naruto nodded.

"Aw. If he had lived I would have tortured the shit out of him."

"Don't you want the information and not his excrement?"

Anko shrugged.

"I suppose I'd want the information as well, but I'd do it mostly to get the fun of torturing him. I've actually literally tortured the shit out of anyone. I wonder if it is actually possible."

Naruto shrugged himself. The gesture was odd to him. Fitch gave him a nod, and then disappeared back into smoke. Kiba looked a little astonished?

"Rat summons?"

Naruto nodded.

"Wouldn't they be kinda...useless? Are there giant battle rats? Otherwise what exactly do they do?"

Naruto sighed. The focus on the flashy was annoying even now.

"Intelligence gathering, swarm tactics, distractions, message carrying. Fitch-sama is also wise council and skilled."

Kiba shrugged.

"I'd rather have Akamaru and my clan dogs. Right boy?"

The dog yipped a little. Shino coughed.

"We need to return to Konoha. Although we have taken out one of the assailants, there was another in Konoha itself. Tsunade-sama was preparing to deal with it."

The 'it' caught Naruto's attention.

"Surely such an opponent would be a he or she?"

Hinata shook her head.

"It was more of a machine, like a scorpion. It looked odd and our team was unable to help in fighting it. Then we noticed the fight here and came to help."

"Did nobody else other than you or Anko notice?"

Anko laughed.

"Probably, but they were probably preoccupied with helping civilians or dealing with the flame throwing scorpion thing. Or being cowards."

They began to move back towards Konoha. Anko turned to Hinata.

"Good thing you did or Darkie-kun might not have made it. Any reasons in particular you came to his rescue?

Naruto heard the tone of voice shift into the one Anko used when she was implying sexual relations. He sighed. He'd already denied this particular accusation.

Fortunately Shino was ready to make the save.

"Anko-san, please desist from teasing Hinata-chan about relationships. She is too reserved for such joking to cause anything but negative feelings."

Anko pouted at him.

"Spoilsport."

* * *

_A/N- so apparently pretty much everyone hates Naruto x Hinata. Please don't review in response to NaruHina discussions, please PM instead. Review the story not the author's notes!_

_All I'll say is that all will become clear in time. Patience will be rewarded._


	41. Contemplation

They found the Hokage cleaning her nails in the middle of a large rubble strewn area that hadn't been so rubble strewn before the battle. She was sitting on a large rock, and gently gave a sad sigh as she surveyed her hands.

Shizune stood by her master, subtly attempting to check her for injuries as the older woman checked her nails.

"Would you look at that Shizune."

The younger woman sighed.

"What is wrong Tsunade-sama?"

"The bastard chipped one of my nails a little, look."

She looked. The chip was minute in size.

"Tsunade-sama, you just defeated an S-ranked missing nin from Suna, you're covered in blood and you're worried about your nails?"

Tsunade stared at her student then they both burst out laughing.

"It wasn't just me that defeated him, the ANBU helped as well as Shikaku Nara. You'd have to be an idiot to attack Konoha when it is full of elite shinobi. What were our losses?"

Shizune checked the report the commander had written.

"Half a dozen ANBU, seventeen chunin, five genin and around 50 civilians. The majority of the casualties were caused by the bomber who was led away from the city. A further hundred or so people injured, four critically. Fortunately the hospital is coping with the injuries."

Tsunade sighed, the elation of victory ebbing away at the casualty list.

"Return to the hospital and help out there. I have to find out what happened to that bomber."

Then Naruto, Anko and Team Eight came into view.

"Or it could find me. Anko, what the hell happened?"

Anko gestured to the body on Akamaru's back.

"That's the bomber. Darkie-kun lead him into my forest and killed him."

Tsunade put her head in her palms. Of course. Somehow he would get sucked into this. He was just defending Konoha.

"Why and how did you attack him? I recall him being on some sort of dragon in the air."

"I got his attention by shooting at him and decided to lead him away from the city. Then he followed and Anko-chan prevented him from killing me. After that, he attempted to escape and Team 8 assisted me in attempting to capture him."

Tsunade eyed the body.

"It take it that failed?"

"Indeed."

Then Shino and Naruto looked at each other with the realisation they had spoken at the same time. Kiba burst out laughing. Tsunade smiled.

"Too much to do now for a debrief. I need to be at the hospital, Team 8, take that body to T&I, then you have the rest of the day off, Naruto if you perform any more active duty without my permission I will have you restrained to a hospital bed within moments. Write a mission report then do something that doesn't involve you nearly dying."

That was clear then. Tsunade set off to the hospital in a cloud of dust, a couple of ANBU rising behind her.

Shino gave Naruto a brief nod and lead his team off with the body. That left only Naruto and Anko.

Naruto subconsciously rubbed his shoulder and found it hurt more than usual. He hid the pain; he'd need to find out what it was. However, Anko had seen him rub his arm.

"Anything wrong with your arm Darkie-kun?"

"No."

She smiled.

"I've heard a thousand guys say that. Let me see it."

He couldn't escape, and shrugged back his cloak. Anko gently poked his shoulder and a small spike of pain was caused.

"That looks swollen, in fact."

She gave his arm a much less friendly jab. Naruto couldn't help but give a small twinge in his facial expression. She gave him a stern look.

"Did that guy break your shoulder and you just carried on like nothing happened?"

He reflected. Certainly he had taken a hard shot there, and his arm had ached a bit during the mission. It was possible.

"It seems like a possibility."

Anko sighed.

"I'm taking you to the hospital. Besides, you and I need to have a chat."

"If I try to escape?"

"I break your other shoulder."

Well she had her persuasive ways. The inconvenience of two broken shoulders would be excessive, and the benefits of a well patched shoulder would do him good.

He let her half lead half push him towards the hospital. She gave his cheek a little pat and giggled. It was a scary sound somehow.

"Awwh, he's got cute blonde face hair. That does make you look a little bit older though, but it's too fluffy to be dignified."

He gave his face a rub with his good arm. It was slightly fluffy. He would need to shave.

"Anyway, how did you poison the Uchiha in his base?"

He felt they were fortunately nobody had heard that. From what he had surmised, the Uchiha had been popular for his clan's status.

"A ten part poison. Had to get him to form a catalyst that was absorbed into the walls of his small intestine, which took 3 parts. Then I tested with a small amount of uncooked meat. Then I needed to get another to absorb. Then I just needed to feed him the right balance of foods. I infiltrated the kitchens when I could."

She nodded.

"Well that outdoes anything I've ever done. Nice job. Then again, ten parts. Presumably needed to be that circuitous to get around medical checks by his medical staff. How was it in there?"

He shivered as his side burnt a little more. He put a hand to it; the pain was definitely the wrong side of uncomfortable. Anko noticed this too.

"Your side too? He really did a number on you."

Naruto nodded. It was true. He could feel a number of bruises on parts of his body, and the fact he had coughed blood meant that he had some internal bleeding.

"But was it hard? Lonely? It must have been tense in there."

"I completed my mission. I did what needed to be done."

He knew the instant the words left his mouth that it wouldn't sound like him. He had turned away too. All the little things he'd never needed to worry about, his instincts to hide himself socially and never to trust too deeply had been eroded by years alone. He realised he craved conversation more than ever.

It was not his place. He needed someone to talk to. He needed counsel.

He realised that Tsunade had been right all along. She had known.

Anko patted him on his good shoulder as they approached the hospital.

"Talk to me if you need to ok? Now I need to find a dango shop. Victory meal!"

She punched the air, did the weird blowing gesture at him and galloped off into Konoha, scattering people in her wake.

Naruto looked up at the building in front of him and found himself needing to breath. He had to do what had to be done. He sighed and pushed open the hospital door.

A few minutes later he found himself in a treatment room. Apparently shinobi injuries went to a different area of the hospital to civilian ones. He pondered why as he waited for his doctor to arrive.

Certainly shinobi injuries were likely to be more dangerous and horrifying than civilian ones. Nobody got stabbed by katanas or hit by large scale jutsu when they were civilians. They only had to deal with broken bones and the occasional criminal injury.

He considered the shinobi themselves. Were they unwilling to face treatment before civilians? Possibly an issue of pride. He could conceive of a strong ninja unwilling to show weakness before others because he did not want to appear weak. His motivation for hiding injuries was different.

Was chakra an issue? Whilst all living things did generate some chakra, was the larger quantities possessed by shinobi more important than he thought? His knowledge of medical techniques was minimal after all.

It might well have been an issue of morale? After all, the shinobi were the face of the village, an example of the people protecting the villagers. At least the visible ones were, Root and ANBU hid because what they did was more dangerous and darker. If they saw their finest warrior bleeding they might get worried.

A civilian uprising meant doom for any hidden village.

His musing was interrupted by his doctor entering the room. It was Shizune, who smiled when she saw him.

"Ah, Naruto. Tsunade-sama said you'd got into a bit of bother fighting an S-rank nin. Anyone else I would call and idiot. Actually I would to. Now, what injuries are you aware of whilst I scan you? Take off your shirt."

He did so, and realised that it was covered in small tears. Her hand, glowing a bluish green, travelled over his upper body and she gently tsked at various things.

"Broken shoulder, bruises, internal bleeding that might have stopped."

Shizune stopped her scan.

"Are you immune to pain? As in do you actually feel pain?"

"Yes. It is unpleasant but overly focussing on it isn't an advantage in battle."

She nodded.

"Ok, can rule out that disorder then. Yes you can ignore it, but there is a limit. Do you know the extent of your injuries right now? No you do not. Let me list it for you. Multiple cuts along your back, looks like tree bark rub."

That was a possibility, he was faintly aware of hitting a tree at some stage.

"Broken shoulder and fractured fibula on your left arm, which probably means you didn't notice whist using your crossbow."

That was true.

"Your chest is more black and blue than pale skin."

He looked. It appeared that it was. The fist imprints were very obvious. Apparently the man he had been fighting was proficient at taijutsu and quite strong.

"Be thankful he wasn't aiming for your face with his attacks. He probably wanted you to be able to talk afterwards."

She was very logical. He found himself appreciating this more and more as she spoke in matter of fact sort of way.

"You have a punctured lung."

That was unexpected.

"Fortunately it's a small puncture and the bone fragment from your slightly splintered breastbone is plugging it. It'll be tricky to extract, we'll need to operate. It'll also help us mend you more."

Well the fractured bone certainly explained the chest pain.

"Now. Take off your pants and don't be shy. I need to scan your legs, and I want full resolution from this so your pants have to come off."

He took them off, leaving him in only his underwear. He wasn't too bothered by this. This was a medical situation and Shizune was a professional.

She scanned his legs and thighs with care.

"Hmm, nothing here but a few scratches and, why am I not surprised, even more bruising. You can put the pants back on, and your shirt too."

She turned away as he did, then scanned his head.

"Huh, that's odd."

"What is?"

"You have a brain. I was expecting you to just be utterly stupid enough not to have one."

He felt a touch insulted that she would make such a rookie mistake.

"You can tell I at least have a motor cortex and hippocampus. You have observed my memory and movement. It is therefore reasonably to assume the remainder of..."

"Shut up and pay attention. You should not fight till you are in this condition. You realise what could have happened with that bone fragment in your lung? A slightly harder hit and you would have died. Maybe a bit more running it could have got loose and gone into your brain. You reckless idiot."

She brought out a syringe.

"You need an anti-body shot to make sure nothing in your cuts was infectious. A precaution and nothing more. Then we can work on your physical injuries, then the mental ones."

He accepted the injection with an outstretched arm. With that done, she disposed of the needle and pressed a button on a wall panel.

"Could I get a set of restraints for room 207?"

"Restraints?"

She gave him a small smile.

"For you. Enforced bed rest."

He tried to get up his limbs felt a little heavier. He felt the drug taking effect.

"Did you inject me with...with a sedative?"

"Yep."

There was a knock at the door. She smiled at him as his vision blurred a little.

"Lie down and sleep ok? Ah here are my restrai..."

The silence was quite sudden. With a last look, he saw Sakura in the doorway, staring at him with wide eyes.

His interest in this new development suddenly ended when the drug shut down his systems and sent him into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Itachi moved quietly through the Akatsuki base. Not that there was a real need to, but he liked to keep himself to himself.

He was deep in thought. Sasori and Deidara were dead, of that he had no doubt. Pain had sent the wrong people into Konoha.

Deidara wasn't a thinker, and he wasn't an interrogation specialist. In fact, he was good at large scale assaults and the like. Sending him to get information had been a foolish endeavour. Then again, Akatsuki was too skewed away from information gatherers. Only Zetsu truly excelled at it, but he couldn't capture an enemy.

Sasori could have been useful, but it was likely that he could get overwhelmed by numbers. His poisons could only do so much against a city with the best medical teams in the elemental nations.

He pondered all of it in his mind.

What would his next move be? Certainly he had to play his hand carefully. Pain could not succeed, Akatsuki could not succeed. But Naruto had to pay with his life. He could not get his vengeance for the loss of all he held dear until Akatsuki had been stopped. He had to make sure.

He felt the pain in his chest a little more acutely and stopped to breathe.

His illness. How long did he really have? How much of a fight did he have left within him? He had been hoping he could go all out with Sasuke but now. It was not worth reflecting on what might have been, only what he could now do.

Certainly Naruto alone could not defeat the Akatsuki. He was too much of a subtle specialist to ever defeat an S-ranked shinobi alone. No. Naruto would think his way around this problem.

Itachi knew how hard it would be for him. Each member of Akatsuki was different and challenging, and the fact the pairs tended to cover one another's weaknesses was enough. Deidara was probably the weakest of the team. Sasori too was vulnerable alone.

Who would go next?

Certainly this was a setback for Akatsuki. S-ranked missing in with suitable skills were hard to come by, especially ones who would want to join a group. Still, there was at least one he could think of who would join.

His mind cast back to the fateful night he had slaughtered his own flesh and blood.

The other figure in the mask that had helped him. He was certainly something different. Itachi could never confirm, but he suspected he had been behind the attack of the Nine-Tails as well. That had been terrifying, even for him.

No. That man was out there somewhere, he was dangerous too. It was when he would show up that was the question in Itachi's mind.

He heard the footsteps behind him and sensed the figure coming. It was the Leader.

"Itachi. Zetsu had returned from Konoha territory."

Itachi didn't turn.

"I take it the news is not good."

"Deidara is dead, shot by a crossbow user. Sasori was crushed by the Hokage."

Itachi nodded.

"Deidara did not explode the city?"

"It appears he was distracted and enraged by the bow user, then lured into a forest."

Itachi smiled. That told him a lot about Naruto. He was committed to his work, and would gladly die for a cause. That was certainly useful for him. Not only that, but he had been the one to finish Deidara. That was interesting too.

"_We saw _the battle."

Zetsu rose from the floor next to the leader. Itachi quirked an eyebrow at the two tone man. Zetsu was not normal, that much was for sure.

"The crossbow user _very interesting he is_ skilled yet not strong. _He is somewhat like you_ Itachi-kun. _Yet we sensed_ another signature near him._ So weak, so small, _but possibly that of a tailed beast."

Itachi mentally cursed Naruto for his foolishness. Whilst he could not have sensed Zetsu in the heat of battle, why had he attacked? He knew that they were looking for him. Curse his dutiful nature to Konoha. Unto death it seemed.

"Surely that is wrong for a Junchuuriki. Would they not be more likely to be a force based fighter with large chakra reserves?"

Zetsu never stopped smiling, at least on one half of his face. The other remained impassive.

"It is odd. _We are unsure. _He merits..."

"Further observation."

The leader finished the sentence for him.

"Zetsu will be around Konoha, if he leaves on a mission, then he will find out more about him. Until then we focus on the remaining Junchuuriki. The two-tails has been captured and is on its way in, prepare for the sealing. Our newest member has arrived also."

Itachi nodded. He hadn't expected any other outcome really. The Zombie brothers were odd but frighteningly efficient. They had yet to fail a mission. That their target was captured now was expected.

He knew he had to act sooner rather than later. Somehow he would bring down more members of his organisation. He would have to find a way of getting the Immortal One's killed.

He grimaced as he concluded what he would have to do.

He would make Akatsuki fight itself.


	42. Bed-Rest

Naruto slowly opened one eye from his bed. The mattress of the hospital bed wasn't as comfy as the one at home, but it was still better than the majority of alternatives he'd slept on.

His heart monitor let out a constant beeping with his pulse. He sighed at the restraints. He could break them, but it would be a lengthy process. He could wait after all.

A few minutes later, Shizune looked into the room and saw he was awake. She smiled.

"Ah, good morning Naruto. How are you today? Or rather two days since we put you under. The sedative is only meant to last a few hours but you just kept sleeping. To be honest I'm not surprised."

"I'm a little restrained Shizune-san."

She let out a dry physician's laugh.

"Very good. Talon would have been proud of that one. Now, Tsunade-sama will be along to give you mission orders in a few minutes. Can I trust you not to run away until that has happened?"

He nodded.

She undid the restraints and he stretched his freed limbs. Then he pulled off the heart monitor patches to shut the monitor up. Shizune looked a little annoyed.

"Whilst not strictly necessary, I'd rather you didn't change that. It tends to freak people out when someone suddenly flat-lines Stay here until Tsunade-sama arrives."

"Hai."

Shizune smiled and walked away. Naruto got the sense that there were some other figures on the other side of the door. He activated his Byakugan with interest.

There was an ANBU on the other side of the door he didn't recognise. That was interesting. Why would he need protecting?

His memory sorted through and brought up a possibility.

Sakura. Ah. She had looked shocked when she had seen him, but she was one of the few who didn't know he had returned.

How much did she know? Would she really attempt to kill him? Then again, who knew about him that wanted to kill him? He considered everyone in Konoha.

Sakura? Neji, assuming the boy held a grudge and knew he had returned. Kurenai, but they had left on good terms hadn't they? Hinata?

The last name struck him as unlikely. Whilst she could fight, Hinata could have killed him when she had found him in an instant. Instead she had brought him back to Konoha.

He dismissed the matter as something he could consider afterwards and considered his priorities.

If, as he suspected, he was to be banned from partaking additional missions, then he had to do something. He considered possibilities and needs.

Near the top of the list was finding out what Baka's name had been, although nobody would tell him. It struck him as odd that the normally trivial bit of information was being withheld. Perhaps the mission records held the name.

He recalled the fight with the man, and his lack of real options for damaging him. He needed to learn some new techniques to fight with.

He looked at his bow and the small wire connected to the firing mechanism from the trigger. He recalled its purpose and knew what training he needed. He considered possibilities. He wondered what nature he was. He supposed the best for him would be a wind nature. The possibilities of powered bolts were certainly good.

On the other hand, it left him weak against some natures, and he wasn't a natural at the wind style of fighting. Wind style generally involved unpredictability and innovation, which he admittedly could do. Yet it was too open, too free for him to use. He was a sudden striker, a one shot kill.

He needed more power...more streamlining. A way to make a crossbow shot unblockable or untraceable. Either worked with his style. More stealth too, the crossbow sometimes gave him away.

He looked out of the window to see the sun rising. He'd had no idea of the time and now he knew. He felt a pang of guilt as he recalled Baka's words. He forced his analysing mind to stop. It was hard. He had spent three years watching shadows, hiding from sound and making sure nobody knew he existed. He'd been constantly analysing everything. He tried to switch off his brain and just take it in.

He stared as he tried to process the information differently to normal.

For a brief, brief moment he saw as he had been able to before. He saw the red-pink of the sky slowly expanding into the vast blue expanse. He saw white clouds, were they cumulo...no. It mattered not. The white and grey was stained with orange-pinkness. It was...

The product of variable light diffraction caused by the physical being of their planet and world, and laws of nature that he only knew a little about.

He sighed as his brain could not avoid analysing it from a logical perspective. For once, he longed not to be as good as he was.

Then his brain heard the footsteps outside his door and turned. He itched to take hold of a weapon but knew he didn't need it. It was a hospital. Nobody was trying to kill him.

Well, unless someone had already and the ANBU was on guard duty.

Tsunade entered the room. She smiled at the fact the lights were on and that he couldn't hide. It had to be good for him. He wasn't smiling, but that was normal.

"Naruto."

"Hokage-sama."

She gestured for him to sit and he did so. She pulled up a visitors chair and cocked her head as she normally did when examining him.

"My ban on performing missions still stands. You are badly injured enough that you should not fight; any additional healing effects from your condition aside."

He assumed she meant the Nine-Tails. His seals prevented most of its effects, but there was enough chakra to keep his healing accelerated.

"Aside from letting your injuries heal, I'm assigning you therapy as I said before. This will be performed by Hinata."

That was a surprise. He didn't bother hiding it. Tsunade quirked an eyebrow.

"You expected someone else?"

He honestly had.

"Yes. Shizune-san read my report first; she also is experienced in such matters. As such she is better qualified to perform such a task. You are also more qualified, as are the majority of the doctors and medical staff."

Tsunade smiled.

"But who do you trust more?"

He considered this. Shizune was by far the more experienced of the two, and certainly the more qualified. But Hinata was. He realised Hinata was one of the few people he could probably call a friend at this stage. More so than he could call Shizune a friend.

Then he remembered the conversation with her and the knowledge only they held. He had told her about his first real moment of panic like it was natural.

Tsunade smiled as she watched him think. It had taken some time to get inside his head and think like him, but it was working. She knew who he could trust and who he called friend. She had to try and enforce that.

"Hinata. It seems illogical though."

"Good. Sessions are every Monday and Thursday afternoon. If you do not attend then I will extend the mission ban. You will attend until the seal breaks."

A bead of sweat formed on his forehead. His body tensed and she saw him reach subconsciously for his burning side.

She placed a firm hand on his shoulder and forced his eyes to look at hers.

"I know. I'm afraid of what it was as well. If it scares you then it most likely scares everyone else as well. But you have to do this. This is an order. You know it is logical."

He nodded. A single tear ran from his normal eye.

"I know Hokage-sama. I am beginning to theorise that logic does not govern all decisions, nor can it be the correct choice in all situations."

She smiled. It was true. If he ever discovered love, it would be funny to watch.

"Good. I look forward to you conquering this, and then we can work on problem number two. Akatsuki. I assume you know what they are and what they are doing now?"

"They look for the Tailed Beasts. That much I know."

He did know why as well. Someone wanted to use them for a devastating jutsu. Naruto remembered Itachi's words, burned into his memory from the conversation they had shared.

Tsunade nodded.

"That's only the half of it. It transpires they want to capture all the Tailed Beasts and use them for a powerful jutsu. Jiraiya is off spying on them, and when he returns he'll have to examine you as well.

It made sense. She understood and knew what was necessary. Yet she did it differently to his former master. Danzo would have used brainwashing to achieve success in his operatives. He searched for the difference between the two.

"May I ask a question Hokage-sama?"

She nodded.

"Of course Naruto. You may call me Tsunade if it makes you feel more comfortable, hearing the sama just makes me feel old."

"Of course Tsunade. Why do you care?"

She looked a little more shocked than he had anticipated. Then her face softened into a smile.

"Normally that's quite an insulting question Naruto. I take it my way of dealing with you is different to that you have experienced before?"

It was true.

"In Root when I suffered a difficulty of challenge I was set harder goals to achieve to bring myself through. When I told Danzo-sama of my issues on the mission where I..."

She nodded as he paused.

"I understand. Continue."

"Indeed. When I told him of the issues he didn't react at all, and put me into isolation for a couple of days. It made sense to do so. I was not at optimal performance and needed time to resolve such internal issues before continuing. I did so as expected and did not suffer difficulties on my missions until the invasion."

Tsunade nodded, that was understandable. Danzo did not want emotion to form in Naruto. By having the young boy squash the emotion inside and hide it made sense. Well, made sense when thinking like someone running a hidden military wing.

"You have taken time out of your schedule to review my case specially, which doesn't make sense to me. You have greater priorities to attend to, yet you choose to care more. You bar me from missions but not as a punishment but as a benefit. It is a new viewpoint I have yet to fully comprehend."

So culture shock effectively. He was used to relying on himself so often that other people showing him kindness came as a shock. She smiled. He was damaged and nearly broken but somehow still functioning. He had been alone for years and that meant he still didn't understand basic concepts a child understood.

Yet it was still there. Underneath it all, he was still a good person. There was hope.

She realised she had done nothing but slightly smile at his confused face. He needed an answer.

"Well, it's my duty to care. Aside from being the Hokage and thus in charge of the well-being of all the shinobi under my command, I am first and foremost a medic-nin. My duty is to keep everyone alive. Physical well-being is the main part but mental well-being is, if anything, more important. If someone freezes on a mission or suffers an anxiety attack, they will likely die.

Your seal could break if you overstress. I think that you are going to, so when it breaks you could die easily. I want to prevent that happening."

He nodded. That was the logical part.

"That and you...are special Naruto. You're a Junchuuriki, even if you are a hider rather than a fighter. You are different and like a child in many ways. You are a good person. Do not forget this."

He nodded. He realised he hadn't heard himself described that way before.

"Now, any other questions Naruto?"

"Two actually."

Tsunade smiled.

"Firstly, can you recommend someone to train me on chakra channelling? In my fight with the Akatsuki shinobi I found myself without a real power option, and was forced to stall him out until hope arrived."

Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"He nearly killed you. You didn't do a very good job."

"Exactly. I wish to find someone capable of training me in chakra channelling. My crossbow is compatible with such an exercise. I can conceive of carrying chakra to improve strength or decrease detectability by casting a genjutsu onto the bolt."

Tsunade nodded.

"Hmm. I think I can find someone to train you in such arts. Give me a day to find someone suitable for it. The second question?"

"Why is there an ANBU outside my door?"

Tsunade sighed.

"Sakura did not take well to your return. We thought she had got over Sasuke's defection, but it seems she held out hope that he would return. Silly girl. When she saw you had returned, she worked out what must have happened. I have to give her credit for that.

She tried to kill you one night, but Shizune stopped her. She really wanted you dead. You killed both of her teammates, one who she loved and one who she thought would bring the other one back."

Naruto nodded. That was not entirely unexpected. Sakura had been nothing but hostile to him in the past, and his actions must have angered her further. Yet he had done only what was correct to do.

"She's been in T&I, not being questioned just being given time to think about what she was doing. I have to go and talk to her next. Hopefully she'll give up her grudge."

He accepted the information. When he was out of this place, he would be safe enough from her.

Tsunade tapped her fingers on the bedside table and clicked her fingers.

"Oh yes, I also came to check on your medical wellbeing, knew I forgot something."

Was she really the greatest medic in the elemental nations? She skimmed his chart in about ten seconds.

"Well. Your body is still not in good shape. The fact is I should never have yet you stay escaped from the hospital the first time. Your nutrient balance is down again, when did you last eat?"

He considered. He couldn't remember.

"I am unsure."

She sighed deeply and ran a hand through her hair roughly.

"You really are a machine. You don't know when to stop. You need to eat regularly, and sleep regularly. If you don't, your body will stop working properly and you will die. What do you like eating?"

Naruto considered. The Akimichi food had been good when he had had it the first time at the hospital. But it was a necessity and not a luxury food. What else had he ever eaten? He'd never really paid much attention aside from eating a relatively balanced diet. He did have one memory which dredged itself up from his memory.

It was old. Very old. A kindly middle-aged man in a booth, a much, much younger Naruto. Sitting on a big stool with the Hokage next to him. He was being told about someone who would be taking care of him.

The bowl had arrived.

Tsunade smiled as a tiny amount of drool formed on his lips.

"A good memory?"

Naruto snapped out of the memory.

"There was a noodle and broth dish I ate a long time ago. Served by a man in a booth? I cannot remember its name, but I remember it tasted good."

She smiled.

"Ramen?"

The word sounded familiar.

"Yes, I believe that was what it was called."

She reached for some paper and scribbled an address.

"Here you go. This is a good place to go for the stuff. I occasionally go there myself. If you do go, keep your hood down and talk to them. That is an order. Do not try to hide in public."

He nodded. It would be considered polite to do so.

"Now, another day's bed rest and good food, and then get to the sessions with Hinata. Stay safe, and give it a month or two. I'm sure you can wait that long."

He could. He would find things to do to improve himself. It was an odd realisation that he had never had more than a day's downtime in his life. Either he was training his skills alone, waiting for or on a mission, or eating and sleeping. Now he had a month or two to do things and face his fear.

His side burnt briefly for a moment and he mentally shut it out. He still felt a little tired, and if he was stuck here for another day, he might as well use the bed rest available.

He briefly considered that he could get used to long days of sleeping before crashing into it once again.

* * *

_A/N_

_This marks the end of "part 3" of the story in progress, that is to say the end of the third in progress document I created. The fourth is longer than this one was, and if I keep that up, I can returned to updates every 3 days sooner rather than later. At least hopefully._

_A continued thanks to all the followers, favourites and reviewers (854 reviews? flipping 'eck!) and I hope everyone keeps enjoying the story._


	43. Ramen

He felt deeply unsure of himself. Everything about this felt wrong.

He hovered on the rooftop next to the ramen stand which looked familiar. The coloured covering was a different colour, but he remembered the face of the old man he could see in the kitchen.

He was the same man, older maybe. His hair was a bit greyer than the childlike memory he had.

He felt odd merely observing a target. He wasn't even a target. He could make these observations up close but didn't want to.

He didn't want to initiate contact. Normally the only contact initiated was done by means of tanto blade or crossbow bolt. He touched the butt of his bow just to feel a little more reassured that he was safe.

He slowed his breathing and descended into an alleyway. Why did he feel on edge? He'd dropped his hood anyway. He felt the slight breeze caress his face through the stubble he hadn't shaved off. He barely saw the point of shaving anyway.

Just a few easy steps to the booth and enjoy some food he wanted to eat. He checked he had the funds on him to pay for the meal. He did. His pay had gone forgotten into a bank account, and since he had killed Sasuke in such dire circumstances, the mission had gone up in difficulty substantially.

He felt a pang of guilt that he didn't really pay for food like this. Busy shinobi had a service whereby a selection of foods could be delivered to their apartments during the day. It meant they could train for longer and that there was more work all round for the ever growing civilian population. Naruto was delivered to by the service, the old Hokage having signed him up as soon as he left Root. He lost that much pay per month for the privilege.

This was a new experience, and he should be trying to extract maximum benefit from it. His body was healed, and he could use more practice in social interaction. This was of logical benefit.

That thought line comforted him. That was more like it. Clearly defined objective, means of achievement and logical reasoning.

With this in mind, he took a few steps into the open streets. Nobody spared him not much more than a glance as they walked on by. Shinobi occasionally dressed strangely, and the kid could pull off the cloak look. Civilians were used to the occasional shinobi with odd dress sense, even if Maito Gai running in the green jumpsuit was a sight you only needed to see once.

He tried to walk calmly, fighting the combat instinct to run from cover to cover immediately. He approached the ramen stand from the side, minimizing the amount of time the girl at the counter had to see him. He berated himself for not taking a frontal approach.

He saw the selection of stools and analysed which one he felt would be best. It was probably beneficial to start with small levels of social interaction, and he didn't want too much attention.

A stool at the edge then. That would work well.

He sat on the high stool, feeling his legs leave the ground. He crossed his feet behind the legs for added stability. That was a good feeling.

He realised he was still looking away and turned his head towards the girl behind the counter who was staring at him with an odd look on her face.

Naruto's brain struggled with opening contact. Something friendly, some form of greeting? New contact so respectful? Not too respectful?

He was spared attempting introduction as the girl walked over. She leant on the counter casually and smiled.

"Hi, can I help you?"

He inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. She had opened conversation. Now, he still needed to do introductions and he had been asked a question.

"Yes, I am here to consume ramen."

That was good. He had stated his goal clearly and without undue loss of clarity. Surely this was how people opened conversation.

She rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Well yes. This is a ramen stand. What kind of ramen would you like to eat?"

She passed him a piece of paper with options on it. Naruto scanned it swiftly. Different varieties of ramen? Was there not one optimal flavour with was the best balance of nutrition and taste? What kind had he had before?

Naruto tried to think of selecting a dish. It was difficult. He needed to weigh up so many factors. Rarity of dish ingredients, price, size. His mind whirred.

"I recommend the seafood ramen myself, it's pretty tasty and Dad loves making it."

Ah. She recommended it; therefore it had to be good. He checked the entry. There were certainly several ingredients he had never tried, and that must have been part of the eating process. He considered his food requirements but the waft of scent from the kitchen area made him ignore it as a factor. It was coming back now.

"I would like a large bowl please."

She smiled.

"Coming right up!"

She turned and walked to the kitchen, throwing him a last, quizzical glance as she entered the kitchen.

Naruto quickly checked under the cloth that covered the counter. It was solid wood. How was the dish going to rise upwards? Was there some jutsu involved? He checked around carefully for Hyuuga, and finding there were none, activated his Byakugan for a second.

The ramen stand owners were talking, but neither of them were shinobi. How then was the ramen to appear by rising upwards?

A thought clicked away in his mind.

It must be a figure of speech, or some form of word play to mean that the food would be arriving promptly. It made sense.

He smiled, the illogicality of language having been surrounded, examined and broken apart by his mental logic. He waited, taking in the smell from the kitchens that wafted out. It really was quite a pleasant smell. He remembered that smell.

The girl came out and again and cradled her head in her hands, leaning on the counter and looking at him with amused eyes.

"So, what's your name?"

"Naruto."

She smiled.

"I'm Ayame. I've been working here since I can remember. You're a shinobi right?"

"Yes. I too have been a shinobi since I can remember."

"Really?"

"Yes."

She looked a little saddened by this.

"Umm, are you an orphan?"

He looked at her as she brushed away a few stray strands of brown hair from under her chef's hat. It was somewhat pleasant to look at.

"Ayame, could you take over the kitchen? I'm in need of a lunch break."

"Ok Dad."

The man emerged with two large bowls of steaming broth and noodles. Naruto remembered that sight, only from lower down. He had been shorter then.

The man put them on the counter and offered Naruto a pair of chopsticks to eat with.

"Itadakimasu."

They began to eat and the flavours hit Naruto at the first bite. It was somehow better than his memory remembered. He ate slowly, savouring every bite. The man ate his own slowly, looking at Naruto.

"It was Naruto wasn't it? I'm Teuchi; you were probably too young to remember."

Naruto looked up a little too quickly and felt the feeling of stupidity rise. The man chuckled.

"I remember you from all those years ago, a lot shorter mind, but the hair colour is the same, and the whisker marks. Lady Tsunade also mentioned you might be coming. You seem to have grown up a little since then."

Naruto quietly pulsed his chakra. There were no genjutsu around. That was a good sign. The man was likely genuine. He continued to eat, the pace slowly increasing.

"I remember you ate fast from when you were very small. You haven't changed in that regard. Now, tell me about yourself."

Naruto nodded as he swallowed.

"I am a shinobi. I don't really understand people properly and recently undertook a long mission in isolation. I do as I am ordered. Sometimes I stare at the stars and fires and things that are interesting. I'm a ghost."

The man let out a long whistle and ate a bit more of his food.

"Sounds interesting. You're not, well, normal. Ayame noticed that. Have you ever bought anything from anywhere before?"

"No."

The man nodded.

"Well it explains a lot. Whatever happened to you between last time I saw you and now must have been crazy. You don't seem to have grown up in the traditional way at all. Were you trained by some secret organisation or something?"

He quirked an eyebrow as he said it, his face in a beaming smile. Naruto realised the attempt at humour and tried to laugh. It was a very odd sound and the man looked a little startled.

"Quite the...um laugh you have there. You don't laugh much do you?"

"No."

Naruto found that he was running out of noodles in his bowl, and began to gently drain the broth from the bowl. This had been a pleasant meal. Certainly not nutritionally balanced, but he had always kept going.

The older man smiled.

"I take it you enjoyed it?"

"I did."

Of that he was certain. His stomach still felt like there was more room. The Hokage could hardly blame him for trying to eat more. He realised the thought made him a little bit giddy inside, like it was forbidden.

"I would like another bowl."

The man smiled.

"What flavour this time?"

"The type you had please, it makes sense that you'd prefer a good flavour as the chef."

The man's smile widened.

"Ayame! Another miso ramen! Make it a big one!"

"On its way!"

Naruto relaxed a little. Whilst they were oddly dedicated to a food, Teuchi and Ayame were pleasant people to eat near. He did not press for details or force him to bring up darker times.

It was certainly a welcome break from talking to only shinobi. He realised they were the first civilians he'd ever had extended and non-violent contact with.

Another figure sat at the booth and balanced expertly on the stool. Naruto realised they only had one arm. It wasn't all that uncommon. The figure was young though. The older man recognised him. The young man looked familiar, and he realised who it was. He'd met his father after all.

"Shikamaru. Good to see you here again. How are things?"

The young man shrugged a little.

"As usual. Some of the deer got startled this morning and I had to ease them around and calm them. Didn't take long, but still a bother."

The older man nodded sagely.

"Sounds almost...troublesome?"

That got a sigh; Teuchi gave him a playful punch in the arm.

"I'll get the usual for you; I know how you like it."

He retreated into the kitchen and gentle murmurs of conversation emanated forth, the young man turned to Naruto,

"I wondered when I'd get to meet you Naruto."

"How do you know my name Shikamaru?"

The boy smiled.

"The same way you heard mine. People mentioned it, especially after the mission."

He touched the stump of his arm that remained.

"Your dedication to surviving the battle was impressive. I heard you were forced to detonate a tag at point blank range to win your battle."

Shikamaru shrugged.

"Out of options really. It wasn't my first choice plan."

"Understandable."

The boy nodded.

"So you killed Sasuke. I'll admit that it's bothersome that after all our team went through you had to kill him instead of bringing him back."

That sounded odd, like he meant it differently somehow.

"I had no option. I lack the strength to fight off the military strength of Oto. It took nearly three years to poison him."

Shikamaru sighed.

"Well I appreciate you dealing with him. He left and he caused a lot of damage. All of us will never be the same."

Naruto recalled Kiba saying something very similar to that.

"I am..."

He realised he didn't know the word for what he felt. He certainly felt...bad about it but bad was the wrong word. He knew the pain they had felt but he didn't know it. He felt...like he needed to do something or say something.

"You're as they said. You're not sure what you're feeling right now are you?"

"True. I did not expect you to have such a grasp on emotion. Certainly you are intelligent beyond your appearance and speech."

The young man shook his head a little and smiled slightly.

"Whatever. I prefer the relaxed life, even if I do miss my arm and being with my team more sometimes. I have uses beyond direct confrontation. A specialist, like yourself. In theory we could form an efficient team."

Naruto considered his non-combat weaknesses.

"You are an intelligence specialist?"

"Pretty much. I'm interested by meeting you. You're a bit like I expected, although the fact you aren't hooded is unexpected."

"I was ordered not to."

"That is expected. The Hokage is touchy and wants what she wants."

Teuchi appeared with a couple of bowls of ramen. Shikamaru nodded to the man, who decided to keep out of the conversation.

They began to eat. Shikamaru talked between deliberate mouthfuls.

"So then, I'm curious as to your training. You weren't part of our graduating class, and you're not from a clan. So that means you were trained privately."

Naruto felt impressed by his eating companion. He was like Shino as he actually thought about things logically.

"Of course, if you'd have had a private jonin sensei they would have been introduced. In fact, you only appeared suddenly and sporadically. So no visible sensei, a huge specialisation and if what they've said is to be believed you're incredibly tough. In fact, too tough. You with stand pain and make choices other people can't."

That was true. He'd never considered himself to be tough as such; merely that pain was not an obstacle, and logic a straight path.

"So, that leaves nowhere conventional for your training. So either the former Hokage set up a secret and incredibly harsh training environment for you, or someone else did. Or you're not who you say you are. Two options."

Shikamaru took another mouthful of the food.

"I'm not sure which one I prefer less."

Naruto knew he couldn't tell the full truth. Then again, this was one person who could work him out fully.

"I was privately trained by ANBU."

Technically true.

"It might have been considered harsh; I don't think the Hokage liked it."

Almost certainly true in every regard. That's why the Hokage had brought him into the light. Shikamaru nodded.

"Interesting. I would find out more, but that would be too troublesome. You are a mystery though."

"I'm a ghost."

Shikamaru smiled.

"An interesting concept in more ways than one."

He got up, and Teuchi appeared swiftly to accept his money. The older man watched as Shikamaru walked away, his figure slightly odd from his missing arm.

"He's a good lad that Shikamaru. Shame about the mission that ended his frontline life. Were you on that mission?"

Naruto felt a little uncomfortable, but fleeing suddenly wouldn't be the right way to do things.

"I was."

The words sounded poor and weak coming out of his mouth, and the man looked concerned.

"Oh. I apologise for asking. It sounds like even you came out of it with bad memories. I apologise for thinking anything less."

That was true enough. The words were far too close to the truth. He felt the tingling in his side begin and he stroked a hand soothingly over it despite knowing nothing would happen.

The man gave an apologetic noise.

"Must be a wound from the mission."

"Indeed."

It was close enough to the truth for him to not feel like a liar. Naruto reached for his money and paid silently. The man gave him a short nod as Naruto walked away into the open. He turned to the kitchen.

"Poor lad. He's as hurt as Tsunade-sama said he was. Good thing she gave me good warning he was coming."

Ayame nodded.

"That mission changed a lot. We lost one of our favourite people and it's affected several others."

Teuchi stirred a pot gently for a few moments as they waited for the next customer to arrive. It wouldn't take long.

"You think he's cute don't you?"

Ayame focused more on the food she was chopping to avoid looking at her father and reveal the blush she now sported.

"I think he'll be back you know."

She sighed. He'd be on about this for days.

* * *

_A/N So this marks the start of part 4, and these next lot of chapters are the ones I've felt happiest with whilst writing, so hope you all like them!_


	44. Diffraction

From leaving the ramen stand, it had taken Naruto about 15 seconds to get into an alleyway and onto a rooftop with his hood fully up.

He ducked into the shadow of a vent, and cast his genjutsu. He was invisible, and unless anyone was looking for him, he would not be found.

He found himself breathing a little. He was safe here. Safe. He was safe anywhere with a bit of cover and a touch of shadow.

He felt the pain in his side drop away slowly. He felt his frustration at the thing's existence raise its head and howl at him. He decided to reflect on it further.

He had received it without agreeing to its addition, although in Root training it made sense to have it on him. He remembered losing his real eye, his old eye.

He recalled seeing nothing until the kunai had struck him, then the pain. He had been smaller then, but he had not cried. He had collapsed a little as he had contained the agony, then he had been put under by a medic and awoke with his vision different.

Lord Danzo had talked to him. He had showed him the seal's true purpose. He had showed Naruto the darker side of seals. Even if he hadn't known it at the time, Naruto knew he had felt a deep disgust at the idea.

His Lord had encouraged him to remove the memory, to get rid of the thought that his eye had been removed. He had made the handsigns shakily and then stopped. His Lord had looked at him oddly at that stage, but had not forced him. It was one of the few choices that Naruto had ever had.

Yet...he had failed at that age. He had not thought about it logically. He had accepted his Lord's word as gospel and he had allowed himself to consider using it.

His Lord had made a mistake.

Yet it was his failing that he had eventually used the seal for its purpose, and his duty to overcome the difficulty he had placed.

He considered his final interactions with his Lord before his time in the base. In the dark. A different darkness though. Right now he was in the comforting dark, but that his time there had been an oppressive and worrying dark.

He knew there were words for this, but the comforting dark was a good concept.

He wondered where his Lord had been, and why he had not been contacted. Certainly his Lord had taken time to contact him in the past without warning, and he was almost certain that he should have been contacted by now.

He could contact his former Lord himself though. He had time, and it would certainly count as training.

Although he felt doubts over the move.

The last words still lingered with him. Certainly he hadn't really paid them much heed so far, as he was forced to trust some judgements.

'_Do not trust anyone.'_

Certainly that had to apply to his Lord. He considered his entire interaction with the man he looked up to and called Lord Danzo.

He barely remembered his pre-training years, but he did remember being taken away by the Hokage for ramen. Then he had been taken to the Root base by Danzo.

There he had trained and gone on missions.

He had learned his craft with bow and tanto blade. He had learned to hide and not be seen. He had learned how to distract and cause illusion, to sow confusion. He had been drilled to perfection, to a point where instinct was to hide and complete his mission,

Those principals were correct. They were effective, although not against extremely powerful targets. He would improve his skills to better himself.

Regardless of the issue, Root had made him into who he had been. Efficient, calculating and deadly in the dark.

Then everything had been changed. The Hokage had taken him into the regular forces. That was a change. He hadn't appreciated it at the time, but it had been the start of something he could never have understood.

How could he have?

How can you know something you have never experienced and explored? How could he have understood the growing starts of emotion?

He slowed his racing thoughts; he was not yet properly in charge of his emotions just yet. The memory eater was clear proof of that. He still did not understand emotions fully.

Still, he knew more now. He knew of happiness, he knew of anger. He knew of others he could not name quickly but now understood. He had felt the feeling that he had to drive himself to near destruction because of his failures.

He had failed in his execution.

Everything really had changed. Had the Hokage known? Had he anticipated the challenges and all the effects of his changes? Somehow Naruto felt the man had not. The man had made a foolish choice in some ways; a choice that he realised had been made by an emotional old man.

The Hokage had to have known that his father had been the Fourth; after all it was his duty to appoint a successor. Is that why he had been brought into the light? An old man's belief that he could have been like his father?

Foolish. Emotional decision driven by the opposite of logic. Then he had been placed around teams to meet as many people as possible. Hope was dangerous.

Was it just luck that he had encountered team 8? Had the Hokage been playing him?

Doubts flooded his mind at the myriad possibilities.

Then again, Lord Danzo could have as well. After the Wave mission, where his actions had gone far beyond the mission brief, and he had been chided when he had returned from the mission.

However nothing more had come of it. He had at first assumed it was because his actions had been correct, but now. Had there been a meeting he had not seen?

He realised the enmeshment between the two figures had to have been extremely strong. For one to act in the light and one to act in the dark must have required some communication. Root was separate from the main forces, hidden in the darkness away from vision, but the Hokage had to have known.

Tsunade knew from the files that the previous Hokage had likely written.

They had needed each other. He thought back to the meeting between Tsunade and Danzo. He recalled how he had been brainwashed into confirming the lie of him being Root. He recalled how he had been surprised.

The level of communication, the knowledge of what each side was doing was now hidden from one another.

The conclusion was obvious. Neither side of Konohas' forces could be as effective now that they were hidden. Root forces would be seen as hostile targets if found and regular forces would die to keep the silence.

Konoha could end up fighting itself.

Then he thought deeper.

If neither side knew the other there was no trust. Without that, a second judgement with which to compare plans to, could either truly know what they were doing was the correct move?

Then again, he had been trained to think individually. He had been trained to work alone by necessity. Yet with teamwork came additional options. He had felt the advantages of having people by him, and he had to admit it had saved his life.

So now both Root and Konoha were weakened, and that was the opposite of what his former Lord wished to achieve.

Former Lord? It was true. He was no longer Root.

He reached for his head plate and drew it out to observe it. He had dulled the metal with soot so it didn't shine, but he could pick out the features.

He was a Konoha shinobi now, and he had been ever since the first vestiges of emotional awareness had found him. After all, he now had friends. He had people who showed interest in him beyond his training.

He noted the last observation as something he needed to reflect on. That had to be a part of friendship. He considered people who he felt the same for. Hinata, Anko, Shino, Kiba to a degree. It was...interesting. Even Shizune and Tsunade could vaguely count. Talon and his team too. Kakashi certainly. Baka...

So he was no longer a part of Root. Why did he consider Danzo his Lord? He wasn't now. He was just a former leader, his previous commander.

Yet he felt that the man was more to him than just an authority figure. He had a deeper connection with the man. When he had entered the regular forces he had felt the need to talk to the man when it was not necessary.

He had needed to, not so much as a necessity like air and water, but a deeper need he couldn't place.

He felt like...he didn't know the words.

That annoyed him, not knowing but knowing at the same time.

It was as if the man was like...his predecessor? The one who came before him? Naruto certainly felt like he had skills similar to the man. Yet his skills were different, but both focused on being hidden and performing their part.

He almost felt abandoned by the man.

He felt the conflict within himself grow a little more. On one side of his mind, he saw the man who trained him, who raised and taught him. A man who had given him purpose, means and execution. A man who had forged him like a blacksmith would a sword, with hammer and anvil. Forged into a deadly blade.

Root had helped Konoha recover after the attack of the Nine-Tails. It had removed malfeasants; it had sabotaged the fought back advances from other villages that nobody had known. It had melded perfectly, the combination of the Hokage's mind and Danzo's will. An extension of power that was only controlled in the loosest sense by the Hokage.

It had worked supremely well. As things became more peaceful, their duty had lessened, but it had still fought onwards. Naruto had done his share. Figures that needed removal were removed. He didn't know the consequences or the wider picture, but he did not need to know.

He recalled his final Root mission. The Daimyo's son.

He had merely had to place some documents in a room, and then shoot the man as he showed off. This had been done.

He could guess that the man was corrupt, or that his succession would be a poor result for Konoha. He couldn't be sure though.

Then the Hokage had died, and that left Danzo.

He had denied the existence, officially disbanded the organisation and cut Naruto loose. He knew the man had had no choice, yet it still rankled with him a little. He had been abandoned and then he had disappeared for years.

What had Root done? He'd analysed this, his thoughts coming full circle.

His former Lord was now a threat, and a large one at that. It was a troubling thought.

He rubbed his head as tiredness tugged at his eyes a little. It had been a couple of days since he had slept.

He picked his way carefully across the rooftops as he thought through his schedule for the next days.

He had to find a sensei, and he had his first therapy session to go to. He had a fair amount of time to bet through as well.

His entered his house on automatic and welcomed the soft embrace of his bed. Nevermind that it was only mid-afternoon, he would sleep now.

* * *

Itachi lowered his hands from the statue as the dragons of chakra retreated once more into the statue of the outer path. The body of the woman that had lain before it was now nothing but a worthless corpse to the Akatsuki.

Someone, mostly likely Zetsu, would dispose of it. He felt his body feel heavier from the sheer chakra drain that such an event required. Even for the Two-Tails, it was significant. Every time it felt more and more like part of him was being lost with every sealing.

He knew his fellow members would be feeling the strain as well, some moreso than others. Konan in particular looked paler than he had ever seen her. The woman sank to her knees and took deep breaths.

Kisame merely shrugged as if nothing had happened. The man had so much chakra it was practically as if it was unlimited.

With each member lost, the process took more and more out of them. He felt the urge to cough and resisted it. Any sign of weakness would be noted quickly.

He took a quick glance at the newest member. The man behind the orange mask. He had controlled his surprise at this, although it wasn't all that unexpected.

After all, the man had helped him before, and was certainly strong enough to be considered a threat by himself.

He suspected that the man was the real power behind the Akatsuki. He could see Zetsu now favoured the man above Pein, who still stood unmoving as he communed with the statue, another of its eyes open in its eternal stare.

Hidan was cursing loudly about something, possibly that spending time doing this was keeping him away from his religious duties. The man was a special kind of insane, whether it was his dark powers or his desire to just hurt people Itachi didn't want to fathom.

Kakuzu's expression was unreadable as ever.

He eyed the Zombie Brothers with his usual air. He knew how he would take one of them out certainly. Both at the same time would be substantially more difficult to accomplish. Separating them was certainly key.

They descended off the hands of the statue to the floor of the chamber it was housed in. It was an ugly thing, a thin, taut face of stone seemingly twisted in a scream of pain. He wondered what could have spawned such a hideous summon such as that.

The Rinnengan certainly had many powers he was unaware of, but he was happy with his own eyes. His vision blurred a little from the chakra drain. He too took a deep breath.

Zetsu rose up from the floor before Pein.

"The Kumo Shinobi _ever so stupid aren't they? _They have ceased searching for her _and now it's too late!_"

"Thank you Zetsu. We now stand only three beasts away from the completion of our goal. And peace."

The figure raised its arms as it spoke, words echoing from stone walls, reverberating greatly as his proclamation was heard.

"Can I get back to praising Jashin now? He hungers for fresh blood."

Hidan's sneer caused Kakuzu to chuckle a little and Kisame to smile widely, his shark teeth glinting a little in the low light.

"Patience Hidan. We still have work to do. What do we know of the remaining beasts?"

Zetsu smiled on the white half of his face.

"Kumo holds the 8 tails, _so strong, so in tune with his beast, _and will prove a difficult target. _Kumo is nervous and angry_ it may be best to withhold our efforts upon him for some time."

Itachi agreed on that front. Killer Bee was not a man to tangle with lightly unless you had very special skills.

"The Nine Tails _tricksy fox it is _remains elusive. We think _so faint, so hard to sense but _it may have been found. It's Junchuuriki is _quiet, hidden, dark _hard to pin down."

That was true. The Akatsuki were interested by this. Kakuzu spoke, a deep rumble of a voice.

"Really? All Junchuuriki are powerhouses of strength and aggression when we face them. All call up on their captives to aid them, and all are capable of causing massive damage to targets. How can one hide from you Zetsu? Or are you simply useless?"

The two tone man turned to his taunter.

"You couldn't find your own heart _even if you had four others to compare it with. _Do not insult me mercenary."

Hidan put his scythe across Kakuzu's path and the man turned on him instead.

"Want to be ripped apart again you religious idiot?"

"No. But Zetsu won't be any fun for you. You know that."

Kakuzu subsided a little. Hidan was right; he could rip Zetsu apart with extraordinary ease. Pein's voice echoed once more into the chamber, the orange haired man's deep voice carrying easily over his colleagues.

"What of the Three Tails?"

"We await _its reformation."_

Pein looked around.

"Who shall go to capture it once it awakes?"

Itachi considered the issue at hand. Pein didn't go, instead holding the stronghold of Ame intact with sublime ease. That meant that Konan didn't go anywhere either. It would take something special for him to leave.

That left himself, Kisame, the Zombie Brothers, Zetsu and the masked man.

Time to test some thoughts then.

"Why doesn't our newcomer prove himself? Who are you again?"

The man flailed round to face him.

"I'm Tobi! I look forward to working with you Itachi-senpai-sama!"

That was not his real self, Itachi knew that well enough. He had been aided by the man in the past, and he was definitely more serious than that in his speech and thoughts. Kisame laughed at the man's actions.

"You must be an idiot."

"Tobi isn't an idiot!"

Kisame hefted his sword with a wide smile on his face. The intent was obvious, even if Kisame barely looked interested in the fight he could initiate.

The masked man bristled a little before waving his arms around, the comically long sleeves flailing with him.

"Nasty fish man isn't very friendly. Tobi wants a friendly senpai like Itachi-senpai!"

He sighed. The man's acting was so unconvincing and over the top it would work against Akatsuki. If they had one weakness, it was that a lot of them were too arrogant for their own good.

Not that it wasn't with good reason. The Zombie Brothers could not die, Kisame was incredibly strong, and Pein had the Rinnengan, even if he would refuse to give information on it.

So none of them considered this apparent goofball to be a threat. It was extremely clever. He could work that to his advantage.

"I recommend Hidan and Kakuzu go to collect the three tails. Whilst Deidara would have been ideal for the task, I believe that those two would be ideal for fighting this foe. Kakuzu's multiple element barrages can take advantage of the beats singular nature better than I or Kisame can."

The stitched together man turned to Itachi, his face unreadable behind oddly green eyes.

"Are you a coward Itachi? Do you think that just because I hold that minor advantage that I and Hidan are better placed to defeat it?"

"It is not a matter of skill Kakuzu; it is a matter of motivation. I suspect that Konoha will discover that the beast is to reform, and will send strong teams. You know of the bounties that can be collected from high ranking Konoha shinobi. There will be plenty of dirty work for Hidan to do as well."

There was a nasty glint in Kakuzu's eye as he calculated the possible riches. The man disgusted Itachi.

He fought for nothing but money, which would be useless to him in the end. What was the point of money if you sold your soul for it?

As for Hidan...he did not want to contemplate Jashin. Immortality that requires the wielder to constantly kill. If anything, Hidan was just a bloodthirsty maniac.

He could get these two removed quickly if he played his cards correctly.

"Obviously, as the Eight-Tails and the Nine-Tails are currently beyond our grasp, it might be possible to send two teams. Perhaps Leader-sama could join a mission?"

Itachi fixed his gaze on the orange haired and heavily pierced man who returned his gaze with the ringed, purple eyes that the Rinnengan granted him.

"My purpose is not the simple capture of beasts Itachi. You know that my role requires me to remain with those that worship their God."

"Your Ame pawns will not miss their God for a month. Perhaps if you teamed up with our latest member to guide him with your wisdom."

The man's gaze intensified.

"You seem insistent Itachi. Has the death of your little brother affected you so badly?"

The man didn't accent anything. It was a deep, slow, deliberate monotone. That made it all the more insulting.

"That has nothing to do with the situation. His death is unfortunate but not important."

The tension in the room was palpable.

"Zetsu knows all the secrets."

"Zetsu seems to know more than you."

It is an odd dynamic when you have seven S-ranked shinobi in the room, and two look like they are about to go off. Normally, Itachi would be the peacemaker. Now there was nobody neutral in the room.

Except one.

Tobi ran between the two men flailing his long sleeves everywhere.

"Tobi doesn't like fighting! No he doesn't! Stop being so mean to Itachi-senpai Leader-sama-kun."

The man bowed repeatedly to the orange haired man. Itachi kept his gaze on the concentric Rinnengan rings. He wouldn't back down from this. This was what he needed. Everyone on edge. Everyone slightly worried that everything wasn't quite right in the Akatsuki.

He was living on the edge of destruction and he found himself enjoying it more than he had anticipated.

Tobi looked rapidly from man to man, waving his hands in front of Itachi's face to try and break the gaze. Itachi kept his gaze locked on Pein.

The lock was finally broken when Konan turned Pein away from the confrontation. The man stayed turned away after he gently lowered Konan's grip.

"Zetsu, find the location of the Three-tails revival. Then return when it is prepared for capture. Itachi you will accompany Kakuzu and Hidan when the time has come."

"With or without Kisame?"

"Without."

Kisame actually frowned a little.

"This is unorthodox of you Pein. You instructed us to always work in pairs. What have you done to further the plans?"

Pein spun round to face Kisame but Konan stood between them.

"Enough. This bickering helps our enemies and stands in the way of peace. Please desist from arguing."

Paper wings unfurled around her to make her appear so much larger. The wings flapped gently and peacefully.

Itachi nodded. There was no sense in overplaying his hand here. He could not attract undue suspicion.

He turned and walked towards the meditation chambers of the Akatsuki hideout. Kisame followed after him, the package on his back shifting a little as it sensed the anger in the room dying down.

"That was interesting Itachi. You seem more talkative than usual."

Itachi didn't need to look at his partner. In truth, Kisame was the closest thing to a comrade and a friend that Itachi had in the Akatsuki.

"I am beginning to distrust Pein."

Kisame gave out a lengthy whistle.

"That's certainly interesting. Is it his cowardice that causes you to distrust him?"

"Consider Kisame. How much combat have we seen? The beasts that we have captured? The missions that we have undertaken for this organisation? The risks we have taken? What has he done? He provides us with missions and safety, but for what purpose? He will not tell us why he gathers the beasts. I am distrustful of his end game. Will he simply cast us aside at the end?"

Kisame looked thoughtful for a moment.

"He did capture the Six-tails."

"A weakling. A maggot of a Junchuuriki. A broken-hearted fool. The man didn't even fight before being defeated. Pein took on the weakest challenge whilst we fight."

"It is possible. I do not worry about it."

He hefted the blade in his hands with a certainty.

"It is me and Samehada. If he turns on us, then we will turn on him and destroy him."

"Indeed."

Itachi walked on and Kisame shrugged. Looked like things were going to get more interesting around here soon enough.


	45. Natural

Naruto watched his, for want of a better word, target with extreme care. The man certainly bore a resemblance to the previous Hokage, he had suspected as much due to the same family name.

Apparently this man was an expert in chakra flow and channelling into weaponry. Naruto watched a cloud of cigarette smoke rise from the man as he took another long drag on the tobacco stick.

He didn't understand the use of such chemicals. He'd looked up the compound in the small sticks and found none of them had any real usage other than as a mild anti-depressant. The smell wafted to him and made him feel a little ill.

Naruto had followed the directions from the note that the Hokage had given him. They had been very specific about not having his hood up and introducing himself.

He dropped from his hiding place in the trees and walked towards the man. Again he felt the pang of anxiety about being in the open and walking freely towards the man. He felt like activating his Byakugan to make sure that nobody was going to try and kill him. He forced himself to be content with merely looking around constantly.

The man looked up as Naruto approached and smiled. Tossing the smoking butt aside and crushing it under his foot, he stretched out a hand.

"Asuma Sarutobi. Interested to meet you."

Naruto hesitated for a moment before taking the hand and allowing it to be shaken. He still found the custom to be very odd.

"Naruto. Lady Hokage ordered me to meet you for training in chakra channelling."

The man nodded.

"She mentioned that you could use some training. I do have a few questions for you through which I want answers to before I agree to train you."

A test. He could do that as best he could.

"I agree to your terms."

The man smiled.

"List your skill set and normal modes of operation."

"Stealth, genjutsu, poisons, assassination and long range combat using a crossbow. Minor skills with tanto blade and blowgun weaponry. Mastery of both solid and non-solid henge and knowledge of the shadow clone jutsu."

The man let out a long whistle.

"Any other skills that I should know about?"

Naruto considered. Lady Tsunade had clearly briefed him, but could he trust the man.

"None that come to mind."

The man nodded.

"Good. Next question, chakra nature?"

"Unknown."

The man rummaged in a pocket of his flak jacket and produced a strip of pale yellow paper. It looked no Naruto like the litmus papers he occasionally used as a backup check for his chemistry solutions.

"We'll use this in a moment. Third question, hardest mission accomplished to date."

"Retrieve or kill mission, S rank."

The man raised an eyebrow.

"S rank? Who was the target?"

Naruto found himself having to think quickly. How much was he allowed to tell about the mission and himself? He decided to stall.

"I am unsure whether I am allowed to reveal that information to you Asuma-san."

The man seemed not to react perceptibly to the words but Naruto sensed he understood exactly which mission it had been.

"All right, I'm done with my questions. I did know all of the answers you were going to give except for the one about your chakra nature."

"Then why did you ask?"

He was genuinely curious. Surely there was no point except to confirm that a person was telling the truth. What use was that information unless you were interrogating someone? This was clearly not an interrogation situation, so it did not make logical sense.

"To see how much you were willing to reveal. What you didn't reveal interests me more than what you did. Nobody is around, and I would like you to understand that you can trust me with any information that you give."

Naruto nodded, although he felt that just trusting the man was a something he didn't wish to fully commit to.

"I've read your files. You were the one who took out Uchiha Sasuke. That mission was bad for my students. Shikamaru left the shinobi regular forces; Choji took a real pounding and now works with other teams when he needs to. Ino got very scared as well when a lot of her friends came back scarred or worse. Then again, you do not care because you have only met one of them."

"I do not deny this analysis. It is correct."

Asuma sighed and sat, indicating for Naruto to do the same.

"Indeed. I am surprised at your actions though. You committed friendly fire, and that makes most people stop and loose all faith in themselves. That must have been..."

The tingling in his side grew a little, he held up a hand.

"I do not wish to be reminded of it."

The man nodded.

"I understand. I've lost close friends before. The sooner you let go the less it will hurt."

"I will not until I know his name."

The man nodded.

"In that much I think you're an idiot, but this is not why I am here. I'm impressed by your dedication to the mission and the fact you accomplished your crazy objective successfully. You killed him off in Orochimaru's base, which is something nobody else could have achieved. How did that feel by the way? Learning that you had succeeded in the kill."

Naruto forced himself to recall the events. Provided he was careful he wouldn't remember much further.

He had finished writing the last bit of his report and had packed up when Fitch returned to him. The Rat-Lord had merely nodded before disappearing to dispel elsewhere and give him more time to escape.

He remembered that he had paused in his movements for a moment and taken in a fresh breath of the stale air in the vents.

That breath had felt more satisfying than food and water in that one moment of final triumph.

"I felt like I had accomplished something of true worth. I think the word would be triumphant."

That got a smile.

"Treasure that feeling. It doesn't happen too often in shinobi life. The other bit of information you didn't tell me is that you are a Junchuuriki. That I can understand. I am surprised at how you have turned out though. You are certainly not normal."

"Surprise makes me deadly, as you might well expect."

The man smiled.

"Good. You understand well your role and you understand what is a good way of doing things. Now then, let's move on to some actual training shall we?"

Naruto felt a sense of weight lifting from him. He had passed the test, even if it had reduced the amount of time he had for training.

Asuma passed Naruto the slip of chakra paper, which Naruto took. He pulled off a combat glove to get full contact with the paper.

"Channel some chakra into the paper and let's see what affinity you are shall we?"

Naruto did so. Nothing happened at first.

"More chakra."

Naruto summoned enough chakra to put on a solid henge. Then enough for one of his shadow clones. That was a sensible amount in and of itself. The paper was reacting, but faintly. He pushed harder than he'd ever had to.

The paper darkened very slightly at first, then further and further. Asuma watched in fascination. This was an interesting twist on the normal way things happened. He sighed internally. Why had he assumed that this boy would have a normal, simple affinity? Maybe a wind user like himself, or perhaps fire or lightning. Those might fit worse with Naruto's style.

This was unprecedented.

Naruto kept going, wondering what it was meant to mean. The paper was nearly entirely black, except for a sliver of shining white at the other end.

Asuma knew a little of chakra theory, but this was not in the usual guides. He knew what it looked like, but that wasn't what this paper was meant to test for.

He pulled another slip of paper out of his jacket.

"Try again with this piece."

Naruto did so. Having worked out the level of chakra required, he rapidly darkened the next strip. There was still that thin band of shining white as well.

Asuma took out a third piece and performed the exercise himself. As he expected the paper split in two and charred a little, signifying his wind and slight fire affinity.

He sighed. Chakra reactive paper was expensive to produce, and even more expensive for a consumer to buy. There was maybe a metre or two roll of the stuff produced in the elemental nations each year that made it to Konoha, made by skilled workers in the Land of Iron where they would be safe from coercion by other nations.

It was just enough to test all shinobi who required knowing their elemental nature, but not much more. It was part of the reason why they only tested people once they wished to learn it, and not just every genin who graduated. Elemental training was time consuming and difficult, and generally higher ranking chunin were the starter class.

He reached for the instructions that came with the paper and scanned it quickly. The effects for the five main elemental natures were known, but there was a bit nobody bothered to read about rarer natures.

He raised his eyebrows as the effects he had seen were explained. He put the guide back into the pocket with the remaining scraps of paper.

"You have a rare nature."

"That much is apparent. I take it I am not guided by one of the five major natures."

Asuma inspected the scraps of paper once more just to be sure. Very close inspection revealed that there were tiny, tiny cuts all around the edge of the paper. Technically a wind nature, but overwhelmingly something else.

"You have a very weak wind affinity, but otherwise you appear to have a primarily Yin chakra makeup."

"Yin chakra is primarily used in genjutsu is it not?"

Asuma was surprised at that little revelation of knowledge.

"Yes, it is primarily composed of the spiritual portion of your chakra, whereas the Yang," he gestured to the shining white end, "is meant to be the more physical energy of a person. So you are producing a lot more Yin than Yang, which is unusual. I am given to believe most people produce and evenly balanced split."

Naruto considered possible reasons.

"I might be a side effect of my holding of the Nine-Tailed Beast. Could it be possible that more Yang chakra was sealed into me than Yin chakra?"

Asuma chuckled.

"Don't ask me kid, I'm not a seal master. What I do know is that this makes your training very different to how I expected. What was your plan for the use of chakra flow?"

Naruto produced the crossbow and indicated the channelling wire. Asuma studied the bow with some interest, appraising it carefully.

"I intended to use chakra flow on my crossbow bolts and mechanisms to improve its effectiveness. Whether it would take the form of more powerful shots by sharpening the chakra around them, or perhaps silencing the mechanism completely."

Asuma considered the possibility. Charging a bolt with chakra would normally be a prelude to exploding it or making it catch fire. What could Yin chakra do to a bolt? He would have to ask Kurenai at some point tonight. Or tomorrow morning. When he remembered to.

"Good uses. Yin chakra could have some interesting uses, and I will consult a genjutsu expect. I'll try and get her to the next training session."

The man smiled widely about this. He considered what he knew of the shinobi forces.

"Do you mean Kurenai-sensei?"

The man looked a little shocked for the briefest moment before smiling.

"Yes. She mentioned you turned up on some of her missions. Did you really get her that angry?"

"We did not share a common viewpoint until sometime after meeting."

The man gave a laugh and took out another cigarette and flicked it alight.

"She really didn't like you at first, but she seemed a little fonder after awhile."

He drew in some more smoke from the cigarette.

"Why do you actively inhale smoke? Surely there are downsides to such a habit."

"Do you want to be trained?"

"Yes."

"Then do not mention that. I get enough nagging as it is. Let's get to some control exercises to get you into the basics whilst I consult how best to use your chakra."

Naruto nodded as Asuma drew out his weapons, a pair of long knives that slipped neatly around his knuckles.

"Now I know you have a Byakugan as well, so activate it. To be honestly, I'm surprised you don't simply use a constant henge to hide your odd eye as opposed to that strip of cloth."

"I prefer to use as little chakra as possible to avoid detection. I also guess that Kurenai or Kakashi told you this information, and that you reuse the argument against him."

The man looked a little annoyed. Naruto realised he was getting better at picking up people's possible moods from their facial expressions. This was not the time to continue the thought.

"You really aren't great at getting on people's good sides are you?"

"Most of my interaction tends to happen when I shoot people with my bow."

"Fair point."

The man shook his head and took another, deeper drag.

"That's satisfying. Anyway, chakra flow. I take it you're used to applying chakra for wall walking, water walking and activating scrolls of various kinds?"

Naruto nodded. He would be surprised if anyone didn't have those skills after even a short time as a genin.

"Good. This is similar but instead of merely controlling the chakra in a rough way you need to mould it a little more. Observe."

Naruto did. The man concentrated, and slipped the knives a little further away from his body. A slight blue haze surrounded the blades from his normal eye.

His Byakugan revealed far more. The knives were surrounded by another blade, at least twice as long and probably sharper, made of gently rippling chakra.

"You channel chakra through the blades and form a blade around the blade."

The man nodded and retracted the blade.

"Any idea how?"

"Could you repeat the technique?"

The man did with a smile. The blades extended again and Naruto observed with his Byakugan, closing his normal eye to better focus on what was happening.

He had to stop himself from simply looking at it from an aesthetic perspective. The chakra was flowing in ways he hadn't seen, like two counter flowing rivers. Most of it flowed neatly, yet there was interference.

He very, very nearly reached out his hand towards it. It was a fleeting impulse to touch the prettiness.

No, there was a zone of conflict in the middle of it, right between the zones of flow. He rotated his view, getting higher to see better the flows and currents.

Flat on, you just saw flows of chakra. Edge on; the zone of conflict became a mass of fractured bits of flow.

"You counteract two flows and use the friction between them to create sharpness?"

"Pretty much. You seem far too good at this."

"I have good observation skills."

Asuma nodded.

"The thing for you to do now is to just try pushing chakra into your bolts from your bow. You have an advantage in that you can see if it is working. Now, for your suspected chakra type, it might work if you try and visualise the effect you want to work."

Naruto felt a little unsure now.

"This seems like a very open exercise without a clear goal."

"Welcome to more advanced techniques kid. There's no manual. Get to it."

He touched the wire next to the bow, getting used to the new grip he had to adopt. He swiftly slammed a bolt into place and focused his chakra on the wire.

No matter how long it took, he would master the use of this art. He had to if he wanted to live.

* * *

_A/N_

_Choosing a chakra nature that befit Naruto was a weird process, but I think that this was the option that keeps things the most interesting. No pure power, but definitely makes him more deadly. This is about as much of the training process as we're going to see._

_Otherwise hope everyone continues to enjoy the story! _


	46. Theraputic

Hinata waited nervously in one of the psychiatric wards many rooms.

It was painted in pale, calm pastel colours. Gentle blues washed around the room, and the carpet was soft. There weren't any real sharp corners in the room either. Soft, warm light illuminated the room from smooth lamps.

The furniture was soft and spacious as well. All in all, it was as threatening as a newborn puppy.

Yet the place felt odd to her. Here she really crossed the line from nearly retired to taking on her highest rank mission yet. A mission that even her father had been unable to find disapproval for.

Being specially hand picked by the Hokage herself helped her cause as well.

Still, she was unsure of what she was meant to be doing on this mission. Talking to people was fine, but forced talking was slightly more awkward. She didn't feel comfortable with the concept at all.

She looked over her briefing notes once more, and sighed at the objectives. They were so direct, so unthinking when compared to a human's being. They had to be, but the necessity depressed her.

_'Objective 1: Track the psychological progress of the patient_

_Objective 2: Help patient overcome past psychological stress events_

_Objective 3: Force patient to relive events to help objective 2, in particular reference to any sealed memories.'_

She had looked over the "sealed memories" part a few times, but couldn't find anything in the file. Yet it was very specifically there.

She checked the clock. She had arrived early, but surely that was to be expected. The second hand was ticking closer and closer to the hour. Was he going to be late?

As the second hand hit vertical, there was a very odd knock at the door.

It wasn't exactly loud as such. Nor was it a particular pattern. It was a single, almost quiet knock. It was as it wanted to be heard but only by one person.

It was oddly muffled in that regard. She summoned her courage.

"Come in Naruto."

Naruto got in through the doorway and shut it very quickly. She felt a little bit more relaxed by the fact he was clearly on edge as well. She saw his gaze rapidly flit around the room, taking in everything that was there.

His face was hard to read with his hood up, but she thought he didn't like the room all that much. That said, he did take a second to settle onto a sofa, as if assessing it's comfiness.

She took a seat in a chair a little apart from him. That was a good start. Some good distance, but close enough.

"Naruto-san."

"Hinata-san."

There was a moment of quiet, Naruto removed his hood in a sudden movement. She wondered if he was capable of slow and steady movement.

"How are you Naruto?"

"I am alive, and my new training is proving interesting."

"What is the training?"

"I am to learn chakra flow so as to empower my crossbow bolts with chakra. As of yet I am not sure what effect the chakra will have on the bolts."

Hinata smiled. He at least had something else to focus on instead of just these meetings. Naruto continued.

"Were we not supposed to be working on my psychology in these sessions?"

"A..Ano Naruto-san, in truth I am a little nervous at the prospect of these meetings, and I did wish to know how things were outside of these meetings."

She was surprised to see him blush the tiniest amount.

"I also held thoughts that they would be uncomfortable, which is foolish. These meetings cannot possibly cause me harm unless you decide to attack me. Given that we are both calm, I feel that this is unlikely."

She realised he didn't need subtle treatment to open up. He didn't need careful handling. He just needed a direct, goal oriented approach. She realised why her instructions had been worded in such a manner. It was not a degredation of him as a character, it was merely an understanding from Lady Tsunade of what he was.

She considered her instructions again.

"How have you been feeling recently?"

She saw his body shift posture just a little. It was so fast she barely caught the change in him.

"I regret that emotions are something I do not have a full grasp of yet. It vexes me. So I apologise in advance if I am unable to fully put into words some of the emotions that I have felt."

Hinata nodded. She could interpret as anyone could in this situation.

"Do your best to describe it."

"I have been happy, insomuch as I understand it, with my new training. The sense of purpose is...makes me feel like...feels correct. What is the word for that feeling?"

Hinata thought before realising that instinctual answers were likely to hold more truth than thought out.

"Contentment? Gratified?"

Naruto seemed happier with that.

"Yes, gratified. I find gratification in my work. I had been feeling ungratified with my lack of purpose since being taken off missions."

That much was understandable.

"Anything else?"

"I discovered a new food I enjoy, which made me happy. The food was certainly nicer to eat than my usual diet."

Hinata smiled at the human trait. He had a favourite food. She could press on with this.

"Which food was it?"

"I believe it is called ramen."

She nearly laughed. Nearly.

"I like ramen as well, but cinammon roles are my favourite food. I have a bit of a sweet tooth."

"I like ramen for the range of flavour that is possible, and I can eat more of it than I thought. I have not tried cinammon rolls before."

A slightly guilty thought entered Hinata's head.

"I will bring some to a future session so you can try some."

So she had an alterior motive, Tsunade-sama wouldn't really mind. After all, the Hokage was known for acquiring various bottles of sake when the occaision demanded it. She smiled a little and saw Naruto visibly relax.

A memory of finding his bedraggled body in the forest came back to her.

_'I hope you smile this time.'_

At the time she hadn't given it any more thought but at this point it was a reasonable line of questioning. Then she remembered his confession about the maid to her. She would be careful with her questioning. There was a line of how blunt she wanted to be.

"How have you dreams been recently?"

He was quiet for some time, but she didn't feel all that awkward about it. She had come to realise that when he was thinking, he was thinking. His mind focused entirely on the thoughtline, irrespective of anything that wasn't life threatening.

"My dreams have generally been calm. I do not picture much most nights, but those that I do the images are peaceful."

She cast her mind back to the report. Dreams were mentioned several times.

"How do they compare to the dreams you had on your mission?"

"Which mission?"

She didn't know what to call it really, and produced the report. She didn't want to voice the name of the mission that had taken him away, even if she had to try and move on.

"This one."

He paused and thought again.

"If you have my report, albeit the book version of it. What do you read into my dreams?"

It was possibly the most human interaction she had had with him for some time. He wasn't outright not answering the question, and he wasn't answering either. He was challenging her, almost like he didn't want to say.

"Your memorable dreams are of three faces."

"Correct."

She would have to dig deeper. She felt a redness start to build in her cheeks as she considered who one of the faces was.

"Can you t-telll me anything more about t-the faces?"

She met his one eyed gaze with her own. he was definitely not telling her everything. Was this him not thinking she was good enough to talk to him? He was acting normally for a human which was abnormal. It was making her nervous and it was showing. She tried to stiffen herself.

After a few long seconds he finally spoke.

"There are three. Two made it hard to sleep and one made sleep easier."

It was certainly more than she had got before. It felt like she was digging the information out of him. It wasn't how she should have been going about it. Then again, being a soft touch wouldn't work either.

She had to be bold but direct, but subtle at the same time. It was a little like him. How did he manage that.

"Was I one of the faces?"

There was silence. His single eye blinked for just a second and she could have sworn it looked away despite his body simply not moving.

"Yes. I memorised your face on the mission to the border where we joined up with team 10."

She remembered the mission. She remembered a fireside scene where she had looked into his eyes as she had spilled out her feelings in a rush she had never experienced before. How different that scene looked in the past compared to now.

She had lost control, she had seen all of him and got an apology. She had started to count him as a friend then.

She realised that she shouldn't have even thought twice about this mission. She should have accepted immediately just to help him as a friend. She had to judge him for something he might not even have done.

He had done it though.

She felt torn for a moment before realising she was blushing a bit and had been quiet for a while.

"Why?"

"Your face was a true picture of that which I did not understand and what I still do not understand. I could see in every line of your face, in your eyes and your lips. I could see how you were feeling something far deeper than anything I could conceive and I memorised it. I memorised it and it represented something mysterious but calm. Something I did not have."

She turned away to regain a little composure. The report had been well written but even then she had never suspected that under his exterior was something inside like that.

He was a poet in a warrior's shell. Still, he was her patient and someone she had to help.

"That's very...deep. Now, your report finishes inside the base, but the mission did not conclude until you were returned to Konoha."

She was taking these words from the Hokage, but they were effective at what she needed.

He was suddenly very quiet. It wasn't just silence it was as if he was killing all sound in the entire room.

"I simply passed out from the feedback due to a shadow clone."

She could tell he was lying. It looked like he was almost physically hurt by it, twisting a little in his chair. She wanted to accept it, to move on and to leave him peaceful.

Could she do continue? Could she continue to twist the knife into him to get to the truth?

"What really happened?"

"I do not know. I have sealed away the memory and run from the pain."

"How?"

He stood, staggering a little. She nearly rose to catch him but he held out a hand to steady himself on the arm of the sofa. He raised the side of his shirt.

At first she only saw his stomach, which looked healthier than before by some distance. Then she saw the huge mass of seals that covered the flesh.

His finger was touching what looked like a small part of a much larger seal.

"The Memory Eating Seal. It works by sealing off the part of the soul that carries the memory."

Hinata found herself shivering as if the temperature in the room had suddenly dropped.

She wanted to reach out and brush the skin, but was that a good idea? Would that make things better? Would he react well?

She kept her distance, but he had noticed her shaking.

"Are you cold or scared?"

She had to suppress anger because she knew he wasn't being unkind. She didn't think he could intentionally be unkind.

"Scared."

He gave her a long, lingering look directly into her eyes. She held the gaze steadily, unable to tear herself away.

"I...understand."

He looked at the clock, pulled the hood over his head and left the room suddenly. Hinata unfroze just after he had gone and looked as well.

Exactly one hour had passed.

She sighed and began to make notes on what had happened. He had revealed the source of a major problem and it frightened her badly.

Did her Hokage expect her to break the seal and unleash the memory? That would be terrible to do to another human person, let alone a friend.

A friend?

* * *

_A/N sorry for the short chapter but this is where things break up nicely. I won't show all the therapy/training session because that would be a bit dull, and hopefully things will get more exciting soon enough._

_soon..._


	47. An Alliance of Conveniance

The Akatsuki base was quiet.

The great cavernous structure was hidden beneath the city of Ame, hidden in the maze of pipes and drains that dealt with the odd and constant rainfall.

There was more than enough space in the system of winding caves for an Akatsuki member to be alone and think, practise or simply destroy things due to being angry.

Itachi sat in his own personal cavern and stretched out his mind.

He was glad for the down time in some ways. Whilst it kept him away from the surface and the small dangers that Konoha shinobi with skill and a suicide complex could pose to him, it kept him out of the loop for what was going on.

Still, his illness would advance more slowly if he rested more. That gave him more time to think and prepare.

How did you kill the Zombie brothers?

He had known that for a long time. He could evaluate and enemy and work out his weaknessess and had done so for all his Akatsuki comrades.

Hidan he would simply need to immobilize. The man's skills were...certainly unique, but once you knew what to worry about they could be neutralised with ease. Whilst he was sure the man had other jutsu to fall back on, he suspected it had been a long time since he had used them.

Of course, that was assuming that Kakuzu simply sat back and laughed at him. It wasn't all that unlikely given their interaction, but Itachi left nothing to chance.

He would have needed to separate them first. With Hidan isolated, he could be picked apart with little to no difficulty. In the most literal sense.

Kakuzu on the other hand was a much more interesting challenge. He had to be killed five times before he stayed dead.

Unless you got him to overextend himself and release the hearts from his body to attack independently.

He'd always wondered why Kakuzu did such a thing, releasing them from his person to attack opponents when he could do so himself or join the masked hearts to himself for even more firepower. Either way it was an arrogance the man shouldn't have.

Still, his foes flaw was his weapon, and Itachi was proficient in its use.

He would take out the hearts separately as they separated, as many concurrently as possible, either trapping them or using powerful attacks.

With the hearts wasted, Kakuzu was a powerful as a normal shinobi. He could be outmatched. He was powerful, but he was better.

Of course, this was without using his eyes to their full potential and simply burning them away. That would be wasteful.

The question of how best to integrate his strategy with that of Konoha was still of interest to him. When Zetsu returned with information, as he surely would, then the Brothers would be despatched. He would have to find a way to betray them without the two-tone man noticing it.

He mused about the possibility of killing Zetsu as well. The man was...unknown though. He was almost entirely the pawn of Pein. At least apparently so. He suspected that someone else pulled the strings.

His musings were interrupted by the soft sound of footfalls entering his area.

He could hear from the sound who it wasn't. They weren't heavy enough to be Kisame's or Kakuzu's. They were light. Soft. Planned. It was either Konan or someone else...

Someone he should have expected sooner.

"Itachi-senpai-kun."

The voice was so infuriatingly calm it verged on smugness. The voice of the one person who he really concerned about finding out.

"You."

"Yes, Tobi is here to visit you!"

The masked man strolled into Itachi's chamber with elegant strides.

"Why so glum Itachi-kun? Surely Tobi can make you happy?"

"Drop the Tobi act. I know you better than that."

Something in the man's demeanour changed slightly. Maybe it was the slant of the shoulders, or a subtle shifting of muscles under the Akatsuki robe. Whatever it was, it caused the man to seem suddenly very different.

"You are stubborn aren't you Itachi? You were the night we did our dirtiest deed and you still are."

"You remain as unknown as ever. I can see your eyes though. They tell me much."

The man stood still and stared at Itachi. He could see little in the eye holes of the mask, but eyeholes meant that there were eyes behind the mask that needed them.

He looked into those holes, trying to avoid the captivation of the orange and swirl mask. It was amazing the lengths that this man had gone to to keep opponents distracted.

He could see the red of the Sharingan in the eyes, the baleful red.

"They tell me that you are either Uchiha or stole the eyes of them. They tell me that there is far more about you that I want to know."

There was a laugh from behind the mask. It sounded rough and choking, like wood on being planed across its grain with a rusty implement.

"And yours tell me that your sight deteriorates. How long until it is gone Itachi?"

"What is your purpose and goal?"

The man gave the coughing laugh again.

"So direct?"

"I give you enough credit to not bother with any subtle approaches against you."

The man clapped his gloved hands together once and once only.

"Very good. Well then, since we are going to be honest, I will answer one question of yours for each of mine that you truthfully answer. For each you refuse I can refuse."

"Very well."

The two men began to pace around each other, as if they were planets orbiting an invisible star."

"Who is the Junchuuriki of the Nine-Tails?"

"Who are you?"

The man gave another grave dry laugh.

"Very good. Given that we've got our own little mysteries hidden away nicely, let's get to actual useful questions. What do you plan to do now that your brother is dead?"

"I intend to find and kill the person who killed him, and prevent Pein from gaining the Tailed Beasts."

The masked man let out a long whistle.

"Bold words. You would betray our entire organisation for your own goals. You would die for them. Respectable but foolish."

"What is your endgame?"

"I will unite the tailed beasts, become its junchuuriki and cast Infinite Tsukotoyumi on the Moon, bringing eternal peace to all the people of the world forever."

That much surprised Itachi.

"An interesting goal. Yet I wonder if your eyes can cast such a genjutsu. I'm sure you are aware of the nature of the Mangekyo Sharingan."

Itachi sensed he had hurt the man in some way. His posture became a little bit more aggressive.

"It is an obstacle I hoped to overcome with significantly more ease, but certain assets have been lost on the road to progress."

"Assets like Orochimaru, Kabuto and my little brother?"

He let the last few words drip off his tongue like treacle. The man growled.

"Assets like your knowledge of the Tailed Beast? I know you were in the town when the attack happened, I know you were in powerful places then. Don't act like you haven't known from that day the truth about the Nine-Tails?"

"The day you attacked? I remember it. You caused more harm than I thought possible. You took the Hokage and many good friends away from us."

The man seemed to shrug a little.

"They stood in the way of my plan and paid the price for it. I have no regrets over it. I sense that you do."

"Mostly that I do not know more about you."

They continued to circle like fencers, each looking the other in the eyes.

"I have something to offer you then Itachi."

"Really?"

"An alliance of sorts. You no longer wish for Pein to succeed, and neither do I. You need to start killing people in this alliance off for your goals, and I need them to die as well."

Itachi quirked his head sideways a little.

"How do you propose for this to work then?"

"Would it surprise you to know that Zetsu is, shall I say, a clear ally of mine and not of silly little Pein?"

"I would be interested. What level of control do you have over your pet?"

"My pet?"

If there was surprise the man's voice didn't show it.

"Zetsu. Care to share what he actually is?"

Itachi imagined a curl of a smile formed on the man's face behind the mask.

"No. Let us say that if I ask him to remain silent, then he will do so."

"And how long would such an...agreement on our part last?"

"As long as it would need to until our paths become less...compatible."

They stopped and looked one another in the eyes once again.

Itachi tried to get the measure of his opposite. There was no obvious deceit in the man's words or body language, but it was somewhat hard to tell with him.

Yet he felt inside he could trust this man in this matter. Whilst they could work together, synergy was better than working apart.

He would just have to betray the man before the man betrayed him. That would be simple enough.

He extended a hand to the figure, who gave another gravelling laugh.

"Please, honour amongst us?"

The figure turned and his personality and body language shifted again.

"Tobi is pleased to work with Itachi-senpai! He will use the training he has given."

The man bounded away waving his arms wildly around himself. The act was so over the top, so ridiculous that nobody would question it if he kept it up. That much Itachi had to concede.

His plan had suddenly become a lot simpler.

* * *

_**A few weeks later**_

Asuma wondered how he had managed to convince himself to be a part of Naruto's new skills test.

It wasn't all bad; he had managed to ensnare team 8 as well. At least Kurenai had managed to convince them. Hinata and Shino had been at least a little keen to help. Kiba had been slightly more cautious and slight bribery had been required.

So the four of them now stood facing Naruto, who had his crossbow out. And loaded. And pointed at the four of them, or at least in their general direction.

He had supervised Naruto's training and knew that the boy was definitely skilled at what he did. Each session he came in and worked at his craft. The shadow clones helped, if he adamantly refused to make more than two at any time.

Now he was ready to properly field test his new techniques.

Although why Hinata got to stand at the side with Kurenai and Shino, Kiba and he had to stand in the line of fire vexed him a little.

Kurenai told him to be a man, and so he had had no choice in the matter.

Naruto was currently running a final inspection and oiling for his bow and it wasn't helping with anyone's nerves. Kiba was rubbing his shoulder meaningfully.

"You do not want to be shot by that thing. It hurts."

"Kiba, I'm sure Naruto-san will not aim to kill us. I'm sure his levels of precision are more than sufficient that his new technique will lead to irreversible harm."

"I'd just rather have a full medical team here just in case. You know he hasn't tried to kill you yet Shino."

"Only because I have remained on what I would tentatively refer to as his good side."

Asuma gave Kiba a look that could only say shut up. Then he lit a cigarette and took a long calming drag. Naruto slowly loaded a bolt into the mechanism and raised it to his shoulder.

Kurenai raised her voice, trying not to giggle at the look on her team and Asuma's faces.

"Alright, Naruto is going to test his new technique. He should be hitting the wooden post you are standing around which represents someone he actually wants to hit. Do. Not. Move."

"Then why do we all have to b..."

"Fire when ready Naruto!"

Kiba shut up as the wait for Naruto to fire seemed to drag out longer than it should have taken.

Kiba blinked and suddenly the world sounded very, very different. His heart was thumping like a thousand drums in his head and everything felt louder. His vision swam as he began to lose balance. He dropped to the floor, the sound of his striking the ground sounding like the collapse of a building.

His breathing sounded like a hurricane and it was starting to give him a headache. Then he heard the soft press of a hand on his back and the noises stopped.

He rose to his feet and scowled deeply at Naruto.

"That was unpleasant, what genjutsu was that?"

Asuma smiled. Naruto hadn't used hand signs for that, instead charging the bolt with his chakra to create illusions without handsigns. All it was limited by was how much complexity he could, for want of a better word, code onto a bolt.

"That is his new set of techniques Kiba. This could be a loonnnggg afternoon for us."

Shino nodded at Asuma's assessment. It was fortunate that he had actually paid more attention than Kiba in Kurenai-sensei's training on genjutsu breaking. Even so, the sudden genjutsu application was disorienting.

"Quite."

Kurenai turned to Hinata.

"What do you see when he fires?"

"There was chakra pushed into the bolt just before he fired, and it spreads on impact about 5 feet."

Kurenai was impressed. Area of effect genjutsu required more chakra and control than your average genjutsu, which she knew Naruto had. This was a fusion of individual and area effect genjutsu, capable of tying down multiple opponents for easier shooting.

It gave him options certainly.

The next shot cannoned into the post barely an inch above the next and the three targets all winced as they tried to dispel the illusions. Naruto was busily checking his crossbow. Kurenai called to him.

"Everything alright Naruto?"

"Yes. The technique is working, but I think it changes the bolt somehow. That was inaccurate."

"Really?"

A third uncharged bolt clanged into the end of the first shot, and a fourth into the end of the second. Asuma caught both as they rebounded.

"Some warning would be nice!"

"Apologies, I have finished testing the genjutsu bolts."

Kiba wiped his brow and Shino looked unusually happy about this development.

Naruto loaded a fifth bolt and took an almost relaxed aim at a boulder nearby. He fired, watching the bolt impact the rock, chipping off a small section. Then he loaded and fired again.

There was no sound at all as the bolt moved through the air even more effortlessly than it seemed to. It stuck gently in rock with a suppressed noise.

Asuma walked over to the rock and took a grip of the bolt, pulling it out of the stone.

"Not bad, you could achieve better with wind chakra though. I could have sent the bolt through the boulder."

Naruto retrieved the bolt.

"That would not be the purpose. Did you hear anything when the bolt was fired?"

"No, but that's...actually very useful for you isn't it?"

Naruto nodded his agreement. Asuma smiled.

"Well, I've taught you as much as I can in this area, which makes me an awesome teacher because it took you only four weeks. Now then, your other skills need work."

Naruto realised he had over focused a little. Although he didn't enjoy his other skills as much. Yes, taijutsu was an art in itself, and weapon technique other than his crossbow were sometimes nice. Yet it was when he was being stealthy for that single shot that he really felt at home. Skulking his foe through a facility for days to get the kill.

He found himself almost longing for a simple assassination again.

Then he realised he had lost all focus for a few moments.

"Let's work on your taijutsu. Spar with..."

Kiba practically leapt into Asuma.

"Kiba. He seems enthusiastic to spar with you. Taijutsu only, no weapons."

Even as he understood the point of the exercise was to improve his taijutsu, he felt the exercise was unfair. Kiba was a specialist in the art.

He shed his cloak, the large garment unsuitable for close up fighting. Kiba moved opposite him, stretching his arms theatrically. They both knew how this would end then.

Naruto took up his stance and waited for Kiba to move. The instinct to have a kunai or a wrist knife ready was strong. His hands itched for a weapon because he knew he would need one.

Kiba circled him and Naruto turned slowly, making sure to always be facing him. He remembered his spar with Neji and how he had won that. He didn't have any of those weapons now.

Kiba pounced and Naruto rolled aside. Kiba landed and spun.

"I yield."

"What?"

Kiba looked confused as Naruto crossed his arms. Asuma sighed.

"That's not quite the point Naruto. I wanted to see what your style of fighting was."

"Oh. It is defensive, and usually I do not engage in taijutsu unless it is with a clone. Even then I use it to wear down opponents as opposed to defeating them. I also prefer to use weapons whilst engaging."

Asuma put his head into his palm and sighed. Kurenai laughed a little. Shino stepped forwards.

"Naruto's taijutsu is primarily weapon based and relies on sudden strikes from unexpected areas. Direct intervention is not something that suits his modus operendi."

Asuma smiled.

"You could try enhancing your blades with chakra as well, although that will be harder to keep up in a fight than single crossbow shots. I'm still concerned about what happens if you enter a fight with someone fast enough or clever enough to be able to engage you directly."

"I simply do not get seen or reveal myself to them."

"If, Naruto. If. If they do find you and you are no ready, what do you have as a backup plan?"

Naruto considered. Shadow clones certainly, and his other more hidden talent, untrained as it was. Or fleeing. He'd used to be resigned to simply dying, but with Akatsuki...he had options he couldn't really talk about.

"I encountered such a situation, I survived until backup arrived."

Kiba grinned and Hinata smiled a little as they remembered coming to his aid against Deidara. Shino seemed less enthusiastic about his idea.

"I recall you were heavily injured in that short time."

Naruto felt a slight pang of annoyance towards Shino because he was right about the injuries. He recalled being told never to do it again by Shizune.

"It worked."

"Once, a risk is doing it once. Performing it twice sparks of carelessness, and three times speaks of foolishness. If nobody had arrived."

"I did know Anko-chan was going to arrive."

"Regardless, if she had been intercepted, you would have died."

That was probably true.

"I just do not feel that the skills increase I could gain from additional taijutsu skill would lead to a meaningful increase in mission efficacy."

Shino nodded.

"Whilst true, it also makes you at risk of dying every time you go on a mission where your opposition can perform even high-chunin level taijutsu like Kiba."

"I am at least Jonin level!"

Kurenai chuckled, a shrill noise that Naruto found pleasant.

"You'd be a jonin if any of your other skills were that high too chunin Inuzuka."

The boy sagged and muttered something under his breath. Kurenai merely had to catch his eye and raise a single eyebrow to get him back in line.

Asuma stroked his black beard thoughtfully. Both boys were right on this, yet there had to be room for improvement.

"Naruto, what weapons do you use defensively?"

"Usually my tanto, kunai, sometimes an acid mist if I have time to prepare it."

"So straight bladed weapons?"

Naruto nodded. His mind thought about the possibilities.

"You imply that another type of weapon might suit my defensive style?"

"Yes. If your style is defensive, then an entangling weapon might suit better."

Shino nodded.

"Indeed. My clan has occasionally used a weapon known as the kusarigama. It has fallen out of use since greater integration with our hives, but all are given some basic instruction. I would welcome you into our clan if you wished to learn more."

Naruto could see slight concern on the faces of everyone else. He took in each of the expressions quickly and then back to Shino, who remained impassive.

"Is there some reason why I might not enter the Aburame compound?"

Shino shrunk back a little. Hinata seemed surprised by something, but was somewhere between smiling and looking away.

"That is perceptive of you Naruto. You can see our unease, even if we shouldn't carry it. Shino's clan is very secretive, and much of Konoha is...well...scared by his clan."

"I have no such fear. When may I take up your offer Shino-san?"

Shino raised his head enough for Naruto to see a slight smile on his face.

"I will consult with my father and will get back to you. We would be honoured to have you round for a meal before we can further discuss our options."

Naruto nodded. That wasn't as hard as he had been expecting. Something about Shino's honest and straight forward approach really worked for him.

Asuma smiled.

"Well that seems to have sorted itself out nicely. I'm not an advanced instructor in weapons, but I think I can find you someone who is when you need me to."

"Thank you Asuma-sensei."

The man smiled.

"Well, we're about done for the day, unless you want to join team 8 for their normal training, you're done here."

Naruto was about to leave when something in him held him back. He was so used to training alone, and being alone when...a lot of the time.

Yet he didn't feel like wanting to be alone for a little bit. He felt...content around team 8. He realised he was standing in mid step and that everyone was watching him. He felt like running away but that felt like a bad idea.

Kurenai decided, after a little pause where she tried not to laugh, to take some mercy on him.

"You are more than welcome to train with us Naruto."

"I...I would like that."

Kurenai smiled.

"Right then, let's get going."

Asuma looked over his shoulder as Naruto began the warm-up routines with Team 8, hearing Kurenai talk as the team did so. The boy was...different. Certainly dedicated to the job, dedicated to his craft to a nearly obsessive degree. The best shinobi tended to be.

There was a fledging humanity about him too. It was too late for him to be normal. Not too late for him to be just normal enough though.

He lit another cigarette and smiled as he walked back into town. Tsunade was probably going to like this.


	48. The Hive

Naruto and Shino walked through the town, two hooded figures being completely ignored by almost everyone in the town. Naruto had never been to this part of Konoha before.

He'd avoided the Aburame clan's rooftops when he could; the detection abilities of the shinobi within lead him to avoid the place whenever possible. Now he was being invited into it freely. It was certainly odd.

It was certainly an action he had not anticipated.

Shino opened a door like any other and held it open for Naruto. The hallway it lead into was relatively normal and warmly lit. Dark wood dominated the furniture and the decor. A sign of strength yet strangely comforting. Another figure, wearing sunglasses with a high colour covering his mouth greeted him.

"Hello. I am Aburame Shibi. Welcome to our home."

Naruto replied as best he could.

"Thank you for the invitation. I feel happy to be here. I am not sure what the word is for what I feel actually."

"Describe it to me."

"I feel that I am doing something that not many others are invited to do, and that makes me happy."

The man nodded.

"You feel pride at our invitation. You are most welcome Naruto. Shino has mentioned you in our discussions. He praises your skills."

Shino did not appear to react at all to this.

"The admiration of skills is mutual. Shino is one of the few shinobi I have encountered whom I feel a kinship with in terms of operating method."

The man shared a look with Shino. He wondered if the clan had methods of communication other than body language, the clan's style of clothing was not conducive to such means.

After a moment, the man turned to Naruto.

"Come; allow me to show you the armoury."

The man beckoned as he walked down the hallway and Naruto fell into step with Shino. A glance at Shino who gently shook his head told him it was not a moment to talk with him.

They descended down a long wooden staircase that lead under the walls. Naruto was noticing more distinctive features about the walls now.

They were all wood; there was very little stone, metal or concrete, aside from that on the outside of the compound, which gave it a cold, stoic appearance. He turned on his Byakugan and nearly stopped moving as the created vision swam into focus.

There was life moving through the entire house. Insect life seemed to work its way through the floors, the walls and everything organic there. It was beautiful. Shino saw his wonderment.

"I see you have discovered the hidden secret of our compound."

"It is...beautiful. The only reason I did not conceive of such a thing before is because I did not think about it deeply. The entire house is a hive for more insect life, a symbiosis your clan shares with nature."

Shino nodded as his father took over.

"It is. As the Nara tend to their deer, we share a deep bond with insects and other similar forms of life. You will never find a spider's web in our house, they prey upon insects. The insects know that this is our hive as well as theirs, and keep the timbers strong enough to hold the house up. If they made their home too large, it would destroy both of our homes. Instead we have homes inside our home."

"One thing I do not yet understand is the presence of concrete walls on the outside of the compound houses."

The man didn't turn, but Naruto again suspected he was smiling. His posture had shifted slightly, a little more upright.

"Konoha in general does not understand our clan, or at least makes little attempt to. If we showed the fine woods of our houses, chosen for their durability and varied for different insects, we would attract attention. No. The less attention we garner, the happier we are.

It is why we cover our faces and eyes, a reminder of our service and our part of a greater whole. Only between the most intimate couples is direct eye contact common. Not because it is forbidden, but because it is special to that pairing.

We serve the greater hive by keeping our bonds strong within ourselves. There is less glory, and sometimes that can makes us feel bitter. Yet we persevere and thrive because we know that the hive, and Konoha, is more important than individual glory."

Naruto nodded. They were a part of the machine of Konoha that worked in the dark without complaint. He felt a sense of belonging grow within him.

He realised that the staircase was quite long, but did not significantly turn. That meant it extended outside of the walls of the house and towards the centre of the compound.

"All the clan houses are connected beneath."

"Very perceptive. We are a hive, and so is our compound. In the space below we learn and train, sharing our knowledge and meeting others of our clan. It is a place of debate and sanctuary, of learning and communion.

It is our refuge. Should anyone invade the compound then we would fight them here, in the tunnels. We would extract severe payment for their gain."

Naruto felt his kinship grow a little more. This place was like the Root compound, but different. This was a place of communion and mutual friendship, the opposite of the Root idea. It was organic, the walls gently curved as if they had been naturally carved, not the square angled concrete of the Root.

The tunnel staircase widened out into a large hall. There were a few dozen hooded or jacketed Aburame around, but Naruto's eye found itself drawn to the great cloud of insects flying above them all.

Some of the clan members turned to see him, as if knowing he was not a part of the clan. Shibi nodded to them, and they turned away or nodded to Naruto.

He realised he'd never been more of an outsider than at this time, yet he didn't feel worried by this.

They entered another sub passage, and into another room. Again the wooden panelling was very present, the ceiling gently curved yet segmented. It reminded Naruto of some large beetle in shape.

Shibi approached a rack of weapons and took one gently in his hands. He spun the chain gently, moving through a practised routine of swings and sudden slashes with the wicked sickle blade.

He eventually stopped the weapon and gently inspected each link of the chain.

"Naruto, I would like you take this weapon as a token of friendship from our clan to you. I would request to see you face, if you will accept the hypocrisy of this request."

Naruto removed his hood, the warm lighting catching his face. His hair, slightly grown was showing the beginnings of spiky untameability, and his lone blue met Shibi's gaze. Naruto felt sure the man was smiling from the visible parts of his face he could see.

"Indeed, I suspect there are multiple reasons for me to offer you this gift of friendship. You remind me of an old comrade who was like you."

Naruto considered the man's words.

"Was this comrade Minato Namikaze?"

Shino looked round at him quickly, and Shibi chuckled. The sound was surprisingly warm to the ear.

"Father, may I interject?"

"Of course Shino. I take it you have come to a conclusion?"

"Minato Namikaze was the Fourth Hokage, slain on the night of the Nine-Tails attack. Your words imply that Naruto is somehow related to him. However I was not aware of him having any relatives of children of any note. Also Naruto's age would imply that he was born close to the night of the attack."

Shibi nodded.

"Naruto, I will leave it up to you to confirm any of this, but know that the bond I offer with this weapon is stronger than steel and more reliable than the passage of day and night. Our hive will not yield your secrets without your permission."

He trusted the man completely. Everything about the clan made sense. The sense of community and oneness was total.

"Shino, I am indeed the son of Minato Namikaze, but I do not follow his footsteps. He was meant to be in the light, whilst I am a ghost in the dark."

Shino nodded his agreement.

"Yet you are a leader Naruto-san. Yet your aversion to the light means you cannot be a Hokage. You are a mystery in that way. Yet I feel you hold a deeper secret."

"You are correct. I am the Junchuuriki of the Nine Tailed Fox, although it is locked away deep within me, where it can do no harm."

Shino seemed troubled, until his father placed a hand on his back. The boy straightened a little at this.

"Do not be disheartened my son. Naruto performs a great task without complaint, and he should not cause you to feel any lesser. No. Hold him as an ideal of service and of duty. Be inspired."

"I shall."

The man turned to Naruto and held out the weapon, as well as a band. Understanding its purpose, Naruto fastened the strap about his chest in the same direction as his tanto blade, and placed the weapon within it.

He nodded to Shibi, who returned the nod.

"If you wish for training, I would recommend Maito Gai or Kakashi as fine users of this weapon. Our clan cannot offer you its training, as our techniques are secret and must remain within the clan. For that, I apologise."

"It is understood. I thank you for the weapon and offer of a bond of friendship."

Shibi nodded to him.

"I invite you to eat with us if you desire."

Naruto paused. It was like when he had been invited to train with team 8. Whilst he had not necessarily needed to train with the squad, he had wanted to. He could eat at home but the kinship with the clan made him wish to stay.

"I would like to accept that offer."

"Excellent. Come, let us eat."

They ascended back towards the house, but Naruto remained silent. He was too busy watching the insects move in the walls with his Byakugan like streams of green chakra in some colossal dance.

Danzo sat in his shadowy throne and surveyed the small gathering he had summoned.

They were his elite, for lack of a better word, lieutenants. Yet they were not. They were not the successor he wished for. That successor was undergoing additional training but was not yet ready.

No. They were his elite, strong enough to face any other foe and aware enough to retain creativity. They were the ones he could send on missions for months and expect to return victorious. The ones he could rely upon.

They also acted as his council in times of need or for a special mission.

Root was not in position as it stood. He had lost five teams in a debacle. Five. Nearly a fifth of his strength, fifteen jonin level shinobi had fallen. Their mission had been a success, but not in the way he had planned or envisioned.

Uchiha Itachi...the man was a thorn in his side that he could not remove. A rouge piece in his otherwise perfect game. The Akatsuki all were, yet Itachi was the one he feared. Feared. Nothing scared him except a man with more knowledge and secrets.

Knowledge and secrets that Hiruzen had condemned but turned a blind eye to in terms of punishment. Secrets that would see Tsunade throw him into prison for. Or likely worse.

Itachi could bring him and Root down, and that meant the man had to die. Or Tsunade had to.

Konoha was not prepared for the Akatsuki. Jiraiya was too often absent, and the Hokage was not the strongest warrior, despite her victory over the puppeteer.

No. There were greater dangers out there. There were men who could slaughter platoons of his elite with ease. If they attacked.

They had to be strong. They had to make plans that nobody else would dare create.

"We plan to overthrow the Hokage."

His assembled nodded. They were not shocked. They were trained not to be shocked. They were trained to be minds able to conceive of anything. They would plan to kill the unkillable, break the unbreakable, and do the undoable.

He liked the irony of that last statement.

"I gave you all this brief and asked you to meditate upon it. Tell me your thoughts."

One of the figures kneeling before him rose.

"I conceived of a plan. It involves isolating the Hokage from her guards, and destroying her there."

Danzo nodded.

"We sneak diplomatic messages to her from the Land of Earth. They will call for negotiation and diplomacy. The Fence-Sitter will himself be there."

Danzo raised a hand to silence the man.

"What of the Daimyo's? How are they kept from involvement?"

"We stage a number of attacks near their castles. This will not only draw away elite shinobi from Konoha, but also keep them within their walls."

"I reject this plan. It not only invites collateral damage, but also would draw home figures like Jiraiya."

The man sat and a second man rose.

"I conceived a plan.

The leadership of the Hokage is the key to their acceptance. I propose to undermine that leadership and force her to stand down."

Danzo nodded. It was this kind of thinking that he liked to see.

"The confidence of the Daimyo is key, and so I propose that we kill the current Daimyo. Whilst he is a moderate and suggestible man, his successor would be young and naive. Far more easy to manipulate."

The hand was raised.

"That would show us as extremely weak, to let our Daimyo die to other forces."

"Who would dare own up to such an attack? Such an admission would be politically suicidal for any nation, no matter how strong. The lack of trust in them would lead to a decrease in their power. The killing of the daimyo need not be from the hand of an assassin, but rather from the hand of uncooked fish or otherwise."

"Continue."

"With the Daimyo slain, we convince his successor to remove Tsunade by political force. An ultimatum of refusing missions until she leaves her seat of power."

Danzo considered.

"I reject this plan also. Such a move would lead to another removal of the daimyo. In addition, it again risks collateral and invites attack from other nations."

The man knelt once more and the third rose.

"I considered the problem deeply, but could not come to a conclusion that made sense of the problem."

"That is unfortunate. Surely you must have had some conclusions to draw from the analysis?"

"None that did not end in excessive damage and death. Only an untimely heart attack of a suspiciously fast acting toxin could remove her safely enough."

"Your input is welcomed but lacking, I expect more."

"I will serve more fruitfully in future my Lord."

Danzo nodded. It was not the worst outcome. At least the man had come to conclusion. That much he expected from one of his elite.

The fourth figure was still awhile longer before he stood.

"My Lord, in the view of the other answers I have more questions."

"Name them."

"What level of damage is allowed to occur?"

"A level 3 event's worth. Although this is not a set limit provided it elevates us above all other nations."

The man nodded.

"Then I have conceived of an answer."

"An answer?"

The kneeling elite nodded.

"My Lord, all actions we could take would naturally lead to attacking our own. We turn our attentions inwards and we forget the outwards."

"Your wisdom is laudable acolyte. Tell me where this leads your answer."

"We require the threat to come from outside. There must be a force to attack and remove the Hokage from power. Anything else would be a lesser result."

"What threat do you envision?"

"Akatsuki. Any other nation would lead to another disruption of the fragile balance we find ourselves in. The Akatsuki must come for the Nine-Tails."

Danzo nodded.

"I came to the same conclusion myself. You have all done well this day, and are dismissed."

The figures rose, bowed, and left the chamber, leaving Danzo on his spartan throne very much alone.

It had come to this moment. A leader who would not understand him, an organisation robbed by fate, and a title that he needed to take for the good of Konoha.

He was the Lord in the Shadows, yet he needed to bring the light closer. He needed to keep going until...it was time.

When would that time be? Could his successor that he had planned for and guided towards his path be trusted to follow him? He needed to reach out and contact his chosen.

He bowed his head with a slight smile at the power of his own introspection.

His chosen. There had been many options for his replacement, but he knew that he would need to train a successor from birth. He had narrowed it down to two options by the time the candidates were barely able to hold a kunai.

Both skilled. Both with a past that could inspire.

Yet only one was truly going to. If he failed then there were backup options, but they would not be as pure, would not be as good as his first choice.

He rose from his throne and walked towards the exit. He would need to advise the Hokage, and talk to his lost son. He would be quiet. He would be secretive.

He prepared to leave when a lesser minion came into the room, barely panting.

"Speak."

"My Lord, the Three-Tailed beast is beginning to reform in a lake close to the coast near Kiri."

"You are dismissed."

He pondered this. Whilst it had been known since the fall of Yagura that the Three-Tailed beast would one day return, it was something he could not plan for. Such an event would be known by now within Konoha itself, and by Akatsuki.

He could not risk mobilising now, there was more at stake.

He turned into the darkness and strode onwards.


	49. Entrance

Naruto was surprised when Talon merely landed in his apartment without trying to actively attack him.

"Grab your kit and get to the Hokage Tower now."

Then he left at speed. Naruto felt a tinge of feeling like something more should have happened before grabbing all his equipment and began to move.

The rooftops blurred beneath him and he could see other figures moving quickly to the tower as well. One of the figures nearly bounded directly into him.

"Darkie-kun!"

"Anko-chan."

They kept moving.

"We need to talk more! Seriously."

There wasn't much he could say to that, the tower was rapidly approaching. They hit the walls and kept running vertically before bounding together through the window.

Naruto landed first, cloak whipping around him as he did so. Anko landed behind him, trench coat also flying due to the speed of passage.

They looked up at the same time to the room in general.

"Super Sexy Anko-chan and The Mysterious and Handsome Darkie-kun ready to save the day!"

A banner descended behind them as she shouted to the entire room.

Everyone was no silent and staring at them. Tsunade appeared half amused and half like she was about to kill them both. Then there was Shizune, who had her head buried in one of her hands as she balanced nearly a dozen documents and folders in her other hand.

Casting his gaze further around the room he took in more occupants.

There were three shinobi he had never met before, all of whom looked somewhere between amused and confused. There was Hare and Pig, the latter of whom was shaking a little with pent up mirth.

Then there was most of team 8. Kiba's mouth was hanging open, Hinata's eyes were wider than she had ever seen and Shino looked utterly unmoved. There was no sign of their sensei.

"Where is Kurenai-sensei?"

Silence greeted him. There was a cough from the desk to his right. He turned to see Tsunade gently crack her knuckles. The sound seemed the echo ominously around the office. He felt the need to dive back out through the window.

"Naruto. Please tell me you weren't in on this."

"I was not."

Tsunade's gaze turned like beam of a lighthouse and rested squarely on Anko, who shrugged.

"Totally worth it."

She returned Tsunade's stare and Naruto was sure that the temperature in the room was beginning to rise as the stare went on. Eventually Tsunade broke the gaze with a dismissive noise.

"If this wasn't urgent I would have you shot by Naruto. Anyway, you're probably wondering why I've summoned all of you."

Confetti fired from the cannons that Anko had set up with the banner. Tsunade did her best not to break something. She failed and the pen she had been holding found itself in several shattered pieces due the muscles of her fist clenching.

She waited till the last bits of shredded paper hit the floor.

"In my defence they were meant to go off as we entered."

Tsunade crushed the remaining bits of pen in her hand to dust which she let fall through her fingers absentmindedly.

"The Three Tailed Beast is reforming. I hope that by sending a team of normal shinobi on a series of apparently unrelated patrol missions that we will not attract attention from any of the other nations about the event happening. Hence why there are three teams worth.

Team 8 will go out first. They are known as a tracking team and have an excellent record of border patrol. This will make them utterly unnoticed by other forces in the area.

Then a sealing team," she indicated the shinobi beside Shizune, "Will depart at the same time as an ANBU and combat team." She indicated Talon's squad.

"All teams will converge near, but not meet up. When the event begins completely then team 8 will keep watch, the ANBU team will perform combat duties to hold off any enemies and the sealing team will do what their name suggests. Hare will act as the medic for the squad in combat. Clear? Team 8 are not to engage in combat unless it is completely necessary. That call will belong to Talon."

There was a chorus of nods around the room.

"Now Naruto, your question. Kurenai is on sick leave, and is unavailable for duties. Hence you will be leading Team 8. Yes, there is a chance that the Akatsuki could show up, in which case I expect you not to engage unless absolutely necessary. I feel you've recovered enough to begin taking on missions again. Welcome back to active service."

"Sending me at all seems reckless Hokage-sama."

"Deal with it. You're leading a recon team now."

That was certainly a surprise. He looked at his team to see Kiba and Hinata smiling, and Shino even gave him a nod.

Also Anko you are attached to the ANBU team. Yes you get your choice of animal.

"Oooh. Umm. How about..."

Talon came in through the window.

"Kitten."

He ducked Anko's blow and then collected up the snakes that reared to attack.

"Oh don't be like that."

Anko gave a humph as Tsunade coughed once again.

"I think Kitten will do fine Kitten. If there are no further questions, Team 8, get moving!"

Naruto joined his team, accepting a pat on the back from Kiba. It was a hard pat, more of a solid thump than anything else.

* * *

They were soon out of the city gates and off into the forests, moving east.

The Akatsuki trio moved slowly through the forests that covered the outer reaches of Konoha. Skirting north of the city itself, and moving around it towards the place that Zetsu had indicated.

Itachi walked ahead of the Zombie brothers, who had managed to get themselves into a massive argument for the third time.

"Call me 'Stitches', or make another pun about it again and I will remove your head and place it on a pike so Jashin will see how weak you are."

"Jashin-sama will never forsake me you cobbled together old shit. His promises of eternal life are what drive me onwards in his holy service!"

The larger man caught Hidan by his throat.

"Last time it was the blood of your enemies. The time before that, the sound of bleeding flesh. Change your mind again and I remove a limb."

The smaller man ducked out of his hold.

"Fuck off. Itachi looks like he's getting annoyed by your constant threats shitbrains."

"Who are you calling sh-"

Itachi looked around slowly.

"Shut up."

The two Zombie brothers looked at him for a moment before becoming silent and continuing their march.

Oddly enough, Itachi missed the easy camaraderie that Kisame offered. How these two made any progress was a mystery to him. Yes, Hidan couldn't die, and Kakuzu could easily put him back together again if he did, but that didn't make things any better.

He idly wondered if Naruto would appear on this mission. The Hokage would be foolish to send him into such a mission, but then again, he did need for the rest of the Akatsuki to know who he was. He had to keep a balance that worked to his advantage.

Still, he wondered if he could trust Tobi, whoever he was. The man was the only thing that could throw his plans off in this game.

He felt amused that this was like a bizarre and complex game of shogi. Except he wasn't playing to win. He was playing to ensure that nobody won because he couldn't.

The argument behind him, quieted for a brief time, flared up once again and he decided to ignore it. Hidan wasn't going to die, and Kakuzu was too strong for Hidan to do anything about.

It wasn't as if anyone was going to die now were they.

The thought of his immanent betrayal of his organisation filled him with an excitement he hadn't felt for some time. It had been an interesting time, keeping Akatsuki away from Konoha and sabotaging one mission there. He knew that Pein's objectives were not the best for the world, yet he had gone with them.

Maybe he simply loved the danger of it all.

Still, he felt himself tingle and allowed himself a small smile as he walked. At least for a brief moment.

He wondered what would occur in his near future and found himself pleasantly distracted from any anger about Sasuke.

* * *

The late morning sun dominated a blue sky which had the bare minimum of clouds over it. The sparkled off the barely rippling water of the lake which they had been directed to, creating a vista worthy of a great painter.

Naruto once more gazed in wonderment at the sight before him. It wasn't the perfect light off the water, or the soft birdsong and occasional fish leaping from the water. The great mass of water of coalescing and flowing under its own power. Strands of chakra moved like waves underwater, sudden currents and flows that did what they desired.

Fish who hadn't known anything other than peace suddenly found their world a surprisingly different place, as was all life in the lake. They weren't necessarily jumping so much as being tossed upwards by sudden vortices of water that didn't break the surface.

This time there was a difference. This time there was somebody there seeing what he saw. He wasn't the only one staring at it.

He took a quick glance at Hinata to see her enraptured by the same sight as well. Kiba was looking at them both in a funny way.

"Umm, what's so exiting about the lake? I can't see anything."

Naruto broke his gaze away, he was meant to be in charge of what was happening, and that meant he couldn't be distracted.

"The chakra of the tailed beast is slowly coalescing in the lake. It does so randomly, but in...threads would be the most effective description. The threads sway in the lake as if they are following some kind of rhythm and dance, and grow slowly stronger with time.

I suspect if it were to be watched long enough that features of the reforming beast could be spotted, like watching it form."

Kiba looked annoyed.

"Stupid lucky people with their Byakugan. Any of those going spare in your clan Hinata?"

Naruto could tell by the tone of voice that it wasn't a serious comment. He had managed to pick up the skill as he had listened to the conversations that team 8 had with each other. They were certainly different to those of the ANBU team, who seemed primarily interested in the size of female mammary glands.

Team 8 discussed animals, flowers and plants when Hinata got her way, and general chat about Konoha. Naruto had decided to merely listen to their conversations, keeping careful watch.

The team was very good at knowing their surroundings as well, their reputation fully deserved.

Still, remaining at the lake would invite ambush, and as a scouting team that couldn't be allowed. Ideally they would not be spotted at all.

"We take up a patrol path around the lake at a distance of about 2 miles. We then move closer at irregular intervals to check on the lake, and see if we can detect any presence. Do not engage upon detection."

"Hai."

They moved out once again, the forest surrounding the lake was fairly thick, with occasional clearings. Certainly he'd want to stay out of those for combat against S-ranked shinobi, the more distractions and cover he had the better.

At the moment, this mission was peaceful enough. The Akatsuki were absent, and he was patrolling an otherwise peaceful area with something to look at that was interesting.

He wondered what it would be like when the beast reformed. Certainly it would have a similarly crushing and oppressive feeling to it, which made the air heavy and breathing harder. It would be large and threatening too.

Would he have to go as far as he had done the previous time? Hopefully not. That had been difficult and messy to accomplish, not to mention requiring excessive explanation. Certainly the ANBU teams knew, as did Anko and Shino. But would Hinata and Kiba welcome the news?

He decided to use one of his perks as team leader and opened a channel to Shino's headset only.

"Shino."

"Naruto, is everything alright?"

Shino had the good sense to move slightly away from the rest of the already spread team. Hinata had the front, Naruto the back and Kiba and Shino moved in a loose diamond formation between the two.

"Yes. I wish to ask a question. How do you suspect Hinata-san and Kiba-san would react to news of my condition as a Jinchuriki?"

There was silence for a moment as Shino considered the question.

"Whilst I am sure Hinata-san would accept it, I suspect Kiba would be slightly more cautious about it, and would become a bit more distant. Not because he is unkind but because he would not know how to react. Also I would not recommend doing so on this mission, as it would lead to unnecessary tension."

"Thank you for your advice Shino."

He cut the channel back to group and he saw Shino shift back to a slightly closer position. It was good to have a second opinion on things like personal reactions, even if he suspected Shino was not the greatest at performing them, judging by his clan.

He felt that Kiba was oddly the greatest mystery of the team to himself. Obviously he was a person who felt comfortable with dogs, his own ninken Akamaru being extremely useful on missions. Its nose was sharp enough to detect where Naruto was, which Naruto found impressive.

Still, for all his openness, Naruto barely knew him. He almost felt he should, having shot him in the shoulder some years before.

Still, he got along well enough with him; it was just that there was no connection. He checked the kusurigama was in place along with his tanto blade. He knew his eye was working as well, two very real reminders of their kinship.

He thought about others he considered close to him. Certainly his contests with Talon, even if they were entirely started by the ANBU captain, were something that he could count. His fight against the One-Tails with Anko was another thing he could count.

He considered others. Certainly there wasn't a deep enough connection with Kurenai or any of the other Jonin-sensei to really count them. Shizune? She had treated him personally on two occasions now, but that was all professional. Tsunade too, the relationship was of a Hokage and one of her soldiers.

Danzo? His former lord had counted at one stage. He was the first authority figure that Naruto had ever known, the first real figure that commanded him. The first he had ever cared about, even if he had been too blunted to see it.

Baka.

He felt a jolt of anger that he had not discovered the boy's name. Even going to the archives had yielded nothing, his file having a note from Tsunade telling him to earn the right to know it first.

That had been aggravating. He felt the burning itch in his side give another hideous twinge.

Yet there was no one thing that he shared with Baka. The boy had been his first friend because there was something so familiar about him, so...easy. He had been the first to want to get close to him. The first to read his reports and want more.

Yes, there wasn't one big thing there. Yet the boy counted deeply, more deeply than many of the others. In fact all of the others, although Hinata felt close.

He realised that there were too many factors for once. So many little things, there was no way you could put a numerical value to it. There were some things he couldn't account for that made him worried.

He had tried to numerically rank his friendships before, but had postponed the task due to conflicting results.

No matter how he tried, his results felt wrong. The method and working was correct, yet he felt that he needed to add values to skew his results a little to be correct. He'd refine his method, but couldn't get it correct.

It was as if he was shooting at a target that moved the instant he fired.

It was frustrating, but interesting all at once.

He refocused from his introspection into the present as he moved the team closer to the lake once again, seeing it's full presence moving into view like the moon emerging from behind a cloud.

He pondered the concept and decided to remember it. It would look good in his report after all.


	50. The Fan has been Hit

**_Warning_**

_Due to the presence of that lovable murderer Hidan, chapters with him contain frankly ludicrous levels of very coarse language. So much so that an extra cautionary note felt required. The author does not condone using this language around living beings, but accepts that characterisation doth demand it. Please do not tell your parents, friends, pet hamsters, dogs, cats or small trees and bushes about what he says, dropping C, S, H, F both G and the K bomb on unsuspecting living things._

_Otherwise enjoy the typical bloodshed and bad times that a battle brings. Like Naruto was going to stay out of it anyway :D_

* * *

When it started, it got hectic very, very fast.

Naruto alerted a now nearby Talon as to its reformation, and five minutes later a great violet barrier had been erected around the lake by the sealing team.

Then there was an explosion and one of the corners flickered ever so slightly.

Then hell broke loose around that corner.

Sealed away inside their own protective barrier, the sealing team could only watch as the ANBU and Anko found themselves facing down three Akatsuki.

That was long odds even for the most elite. Uchiha Itachi and two others who looked deadly.

The standoff lasted some minutes, with two of the cloaked figures laughing at Talon's attempts to not have it end in a slaughter.

Then the first crossbow bolt landed and everyone moved at once.

Naruto felt two of the Akatsuki very quickly break out of his genjutsu and decided to target the second one.

The silent bolt slammed into the man's neck with a spray of arterial blood.

One down.

Then the man grabbed the bolt and pulled it out of neck whilst swearing very loudly.

He barely took in Anko going after Itachi and ANBU moving to isolate the other one. He was entirely focused on the man who had stubbornly refused to die.

He fired again but the man was ready, a wickedly edged scythe cutting his bolt from the air with a clang.

"Come out you fucking coward!"

He decided against it, and fired another bolt to confuse the man. His first hit had broken the man from the genjutsu, and the second was swiftly dispelled.

"Shino. Bleed him dry."

The insect swarm descended towards the man who darted backwards and away from them, back towards where Kakuzu had separated off his hearts and was unleashing all manner of fury towards the ANBU team, who were dodging it all. He could hear the fury in the distance.

"We need to separate him from his partner. Kiba, Hinata, intercept but be careful."

This really wasn't how the mission had been supposed to go. There were not meant to be three Akatasuki present in one place at the same time. They must have an information source of their own to know at what time they were needed.

There was no time now to worry about that. The more separated the Akatsuki were the better.

There was a distant crash that had to be Anko's fight, but that wasn't important now. Hinata and Kiba moved in on the man from either side. The man swung his scythe around at incredible speed, scattering their attacks.

It kept him stationary though, and that was what Naruto needed.

He fired another genjutsu bolt towards the man and watched him twitch as he dispelled it. More time not moving.

Shino's swarm began to reach the man like tendrils from all sides. The scythe kept moving and the man starting laughing maniacally.

"You think fucking bugs are going to kill me?"

The man leapt free and straight for Shino's position, Kiba caught him from below in a tornado of claws and death. The man's bloodied corpse went flying away and crumpled.

He was moving away from his partner whose battle with the ANBU was certainly intense from the noise. His brief glance showed too many signatures to tell what was going on.

Kiba began to approach the fallen man, who suddenly rose into a dive, a black spear in his hands. Hinata dragged him down as Shino knocked the man out of the way.

"I slashed your neck open, how are you alive?"

The man laughed again.

"That fucking little shit scratch?"

He tilted his neck to show the place where something had ripped his neck open,

"I. Cannot. Die. Now prepare yourself to become a sacrifice to the great Jashin!"

His scythe flew back towards him and team 8 scattered. Naruto shot another crossbow bolt into the man's shoulder, but he just shrugged off the wound with a grunt. What kind of jutsu was this? The man had extraordinary tolerance and could not be killed by mortal wounds.

Decapitation? Certainly removing his head would stop the rest of him moving.

He whispered into his communicator as the undying man kept laughing.

"Kiba, we need to try and disable him or decapitating him. Shino, keep trying to drain the man. Remain cautious. He hasn't tried any other jutsu or techniques yet."

Team 8 spread out around the man who decided to inspect his scythe. He tested the blade with his finger and smiled.

"Sharp enough to harvest you all!"

He sprang for Hinata but took another bolt to the chest for his troubles. It made him stumble a little. Hinata ducked the clumsy swing and struck rapidly upwards.

The man recoiled a little but showed no effects in his next swing. Hinata rolled away. Naruto had to admit that her offence was certainly fluent and improved from previous occasions.

The man was still laughing.

"Ooh. A Hyuuga. How scary. Look at me shaking you fucking bitch!"

Insects swarmed onto the man once again and he shouted some more words Naruto wasn't sure he'd heard the ANBU use before trying to attack once again.

It didn't make any sense. Yes, he could take unlimited punishment but why the extremely sharp weaponry? Why the lack of ranged attack? Was it a psychological tactic to get opponents to cease engaging?

He loaded a bolt with an explosive tag. More powerful shots were good, but they weren't powerful enough to remove a limb. This certainly could.

He aimed carefully as Kiba knocked the man back before Shino pulled him down.

The man smacked the bolt aside, and Naruto cursed the fact that he couldn't cloak such a shot without detonating the tag.

"You shitfaced pussy! Fighting with a crossbow? What are you a genin?"

No, a tactician. If it wasn't for his stealth aspect he would have loved to give the smack talk right back.

He loaded another explosively tagged bolt and prepared his next shot, changing position to be a little closer.

He watched as Kiba and Hinata once again combined to keep the man in the same area as Shino's bugs, and the man gave a furious cry.

"Get you bugs out of my neck!"

That was good to know, but they could only do so much damage. Once more, the massive scythe swung furiously, keeping Team 8 at bay.

It was a standstill of a fight. He needed the right moment.

"Shino, turn him around."

Team 8 shifted positions, and the man kept laughing.

"Look at the little scout team. Awwh. Can't hurt me?"

Naruto fired.

The bolt was caught in one of the man's hands before that hand ceased to be attached. The man gave a yell of pain and waved the stump around.

"Oh. That felt good, that's what I want! Now then, I've shed some blood in this. Your turn fuckers!"

The man moved faster than Naruto had seen him move, and Team 8 clearly wasn't ready for him and they fell back from the scythe. Eventually Kiba came too close, his injured leg not quite working to its full. Shino pulled him out of the way but felt the kiss of the scythe on his arm.

Team 8 scrambled back as the man's laughter began anew. He ran his finger on his scythe and tasted the blood from Shino's cut.

Then his appearance changed and Naruto felt the sudden feeling that he was about to see a strategy he could not have anticipated.

Shino wasn't at all hurt, but the man was scrawling something on the ground with his foot.

That was far more blood, and it only could be blood from the smell of the liquid, than he had taken from Shino. This was a fascinating jutsu.

He shot the man several more times before the symbol was complete and the man simply laughed. The bolt stuck in his forehead vibrated ferociously as he did so.

"Oh your friend is going to fucking pay for that."

The symbol completed on the ground seemed to glow. The man then took hold of the bolt slightly embedded in his skull and pulled it out.

Shino cried out in paid as his head burst open where the crossbow had been removed.

"Everything I do to myself happens to the bug cunt over there! Let's try one of these other bolts your friend supplied!"

He pulled one Naruto had put into the man's shoulder out and there was another cry and spray of blood from the boy.

Kiba leapt forward unbound and leapt towards the man on all fours, crying out in anger. Naruto realised that the situation was beyond his control or knowledge and that his team was in danger.

He had to find an alternative and he had to find it fast. No. He had to get Shino and the team to safety first as team leader.

Kiba barged into the man pushed him out of his symbol and began to hit him. Nothing was happening to Shino, who was down to one knee, his visible face and jacket rapidly staining with blood.

The man threw Kiba off him and started walking back to the circle. Kiba landed awkwardly and struggled to rise a little.

Naruto knew his choices were extremely limited. He opened the channel to the whole team.

"Fall back to somewhere where you can to Shino. I'll fight this guy."

Hinata's voice cut through the radio link.

"No. You need our help to fight him you can't..."

"It's an order. Kiba is hurt, Shino is badly hurt and at the mercy of our opponent. Draw back."

He could see the concern on her face as he walked forward out of his cover towards the man.

"Hai. Don't die Naruto-kun."

The suffix was different, but now was not the time for noticing that. He had a bigger problem. The man had just stepped into the circle again and pulled out the third bolt, ripping a hole in Shino's knee.

Even though the man was hurt he wasn't in any visible pain or looked like he was dying. That was extremely...he didn't even know what word.

How do you kill him? Decapitation should stop him from moving at least. How as Naruto going to achieve that?

Hinata and Kiba were dragging Shino away and the man swore violently.

"You short arsehole with the crossbow! You the fucking leader?"

"Yes."

The man brought up the scythe as his body changed back to normal as Shino got further away from him.

"I'm going to fucking enjoy fucking you up motherfucker!"

The tanto wasn't going to work here, that was clear. Disabling or stunning wouldn't work either. It was time for a new test.

The lead weighted chain of the kursurigama spun around him as he had been trained in the short time he had had with Kakashi.

He lashed out with the chain and the man swayed backwards, keeping out of reach.

"Oooh. I'm scared shitless, which is how much brain you must have to try and stop me!"

The tone of voice didn't sound like he was telling the truth. More important was getting out of the way of the scythe that whistled through the air.

He leapt to a tree and started climbing, the manically laughing man close on his heels. He dropped explosive tags that the man simply leapt around.

There was only so much tree to climb before he'd have to jump. Jumping was far too predictable.

He turned and lashed out, holding the lead weighted end and sending the sickle of his own lashing downwards at the man who didn't react in time and suffered a short cut of his own.

The man didn't slow at all and rose up at him like an oncoming storm. Rising upwards the man collided with him as Naruto ducked the huge scythe swing.

Freed from contact with the tree, the upward momentum would only last so long. Naruto lashed out with a leg and sent the man downwards, before grabbing a branch as he fell. The man stuck the scythe points into the tree and then leapt back up it.

By then Naruto was leaping to the next tree.

The man's chakra system was normal, his body was normal; there was no evidence of any additional jutsu around him. What exactly was causing his immortality?

Did it matter? He had to decapitate or stop the man from moving. He wondered how he could achieve such a feat.

The man was on him again and his juggling of variables suddenly became very difficult again.

"Come back here you fucking coward and die!"

Don't reply, keep running. He fired a snapshot off from his bow before falling as fast as he could. He felt the genjutsu snap brief moments later. But he had some moments. To someone thinking as fast as he was, that was like giving him half an hour.

His options were limited. Besting the man in combat was unlikely. Using a clone could work briefly.

He could stall and hope one of the other fights ended, but he was a team leader and that was an irresponsible tactic.

There was one sure-fire way to avoid death, and one not so sure-fire.

He landed in the clearing and fired another genjutsu bolt at the man, who started laughing as he ran a finger along the scythe. Naruto fired a tagged bolt at the man and detonated it as quickly as possible, only getting a log.

"You think a shit genjutsu like that is going to get me blown up? Is that all you have?"

So if he couldn't beat the guy then someone else would have to. Would Itachi come through for him or not was the burning question. He hated relying on the man.

With luck, Hinata and Kiba could be recalled, but it risked Shino. Yet neither of the team 8 members in fighting condition was capable of really helping him.

He'd have to go to lower probability options.

"If you want to know where the Nine-Tails is you have to let me live."

The man paused briefly before shrugging.

"There's probably more people than you that know, and you denied Jashin his fair due. You fucking die today!"

Well that was that then.

The man was on him and he wasn't going to be able to defend forever. He barely felt the scythe catch his arm over the manic laughter. The pain blossomed but it wasn't anything he couldn't deal with.

Then the man broke his arm very suddenly and Naruto felt his body react to the shock. The man hadn't broken his sword arm, but he wouldn't fire the bow with any ease soon. He struggled to rise and draw his sword. His body didn't want to, too preoccupied with working out what had happened to the arm.

The man tasted the blood and changed once again. He had to keep the man out of the circular symbol he was forming. He formed a pair of shadow clones to attack with him, but the man knocked his desperate assault away. He felt a rib break as he took a heavy blow to the chest.

"Goodbye little mother fucker."

He drew a spear and plunged it into his chest. Naruto expected to feel the wound form on himself.

Nothing happened except for a slight burning in his side that he ignored.

"What the fuck?! Why are you not dead?"

Naruto checked his arm. The wound and the blood were real certainly, so the man hadn't hallucinated. The man stabbed himself several more times. It was a bizarre spectacle.

"Lord Jashin!? Have I displeased you?"

Naruto had no idea why he was immune, but the man was invoking a religious entity and so was wasting his time. He began to draw his tanto blade. The man's preoccupation was heavy, he started at the sky with his arms spread wide.

"Why do your powers not affect him Lord Jashin?"

Naruto rose like a torpedo and slashed with the blade, the finely crafted steel meeting the flesh and biting deep, nearly severing the neck.

Naruto landed behind the man with the blade having been ripped out of his hand as it stuck in the man's neck. The damage had been done.

The man's head flopped backwards so the man was facing him, arterial blood fountained out of the exposed neck.

"The fuck?"

He turned and finished the cut with the sickle of the kusurigama. The body collapsed, twitching a little as the man's head tumbled free.

"You fucking cunt! That really hurt."

The head was still talking and Naruto check to see if the body was still moving. Fortunately removed, the body remained lifeless.

"You wait till fucking Kakuzu gets here. I'm gonna drain you dry for Lord Jashin."

"Shut up."

"You shut up you shitfaced shortarse."

The reminder of Kakuzu made him realise another fight was still going on. Two fights. Then a body crashed down into the clearing. Anko was unconscious and badly battered as Itachi landed after her with no sign of harm on him.

Naruto raised the bow and Itachi raised an eyebrow.

"Itachi. Kill this fucker and get Kakuzu for me!"

The black flames engulfed the man's head. His screaming was quickly silenced and the flames disappeared.

"I burned out his vocal chords. I have always desired to do so. Now then."

Itachi kicked the blackened head, whose mouth still moved in angry ways. The fact he could lip read the man wasn't helping Naruto. Then there was a blade at his neck and Itachi had him pinned. He noticed the man was pressuring the broken arm deliberately.

"I won't kill you or your team, Anko is...hurt enough that you shouldn't worry about me. Now you ANBU team on the other hand..."

An explosion some hundred yards away caused a fair amount of the trees to cease their fragile existence.

"This is just for appearances...and because I want you to hurt for killing Sasuke. Regardless, I suggest you help your ANBU live against Kakuzu whilst I...succeed in capturing the Three Tails. Good luck Naruto."

The man kicked him and made for the barrier.

Naruto realised he had no choice in the matter and struggled upwards as Kiba and Hinata came running.

"What the hell happened?"

"No time. Get Anko back with Shino and make sure they are ok. Now."

They obeyed quickly, which made Naruto happier. The less they knew about his arm the better. He struggled onwards towards the site of the explosion.

He ran as fast as he could, looking ahead with his Byakugan. The fact he hadn't had to use it so far made him happy.

He found Hare sitting against a tree, not moving. He could tell the man was alive, but if he was in bad shape the rest of the team was in difficulties.

He vaulted broken tress as heavy rain began to fall in thick, heavy drops. The air was stiff and hard to breath as the rain began to hammer down.

There was a blackened and now steaming clearing ahead where someone had been liberally using fire jutsu.

He could see three figures up ahead, but one wasn't moving. It was Pig. The man was fallen under a tree, his arm at an odd angle. That left Talon.

He caught sight of Talon engaged in furiously quick jutsu as the man tried to crush him with tentacles made of blackened strands?

There were broken masks on the man's back as well. Naruto drew the crossbow off his back and felt the weight of his broken arm. He was severely limited by it.

He propped the bow up and took aim through the pounding rain. Then saw.

Talon had been caught and was being dragged in towards the man who had turned his back to Naruto.

He needed to shoot and shoot now.

Unbidden, his mind conjured up images of Sasuke holding up Baka in the driving rain. It conjured up images of not firing and watching a friend die.

Naruto felt a word escape his mouth at a whisper.

"Never again. Nevermore."

He aimed as best he could and channelled as much chakra as he could into the bolt. He imagined the bolt as a whisper in a quiet ocean, as a drop in that ocean, of a still field. He imagined the air around it parting and getting out of its way. He imagined the drops flowing around it and ignoring it.

He pulled the trigger as the grey tentacles lifted talon high and the man began to laugh.

The bolt made no sound as it flew, the air around it calming like an ocean. It did not deviate except for gravity; no rain touched its surface. It lost no speed, and struck quietly. The target had no concept it was there until it pierced his skin.

The bolt slammed into the man's head and nearly went through into Talon's chest. The tentacles receded. Talon fell heavily onto his leg and Naruto heard the crack as he stumbled forwards.

Talon raised a kunai from where he sat and cut the man's head off just for good measure. Heavy rain washed away any of the blood as the man fell backwards.

Naruto reached him and extended his good arm. Everything felt heavy at this stage and his body still wanted to know what had happened to his arm.

"Lion...what the hell has been going on? What happened to your arm?"

"It's going to take some time to explain."

He was about to too when the purple barrier around the lake burst with a roar of air and the feeling of heavy, dark chakra.

Talon tried to rise and stumbled before Naruto barely caught him, his broken arm flaring under the weight. The masked man looked up in the direction, his voice dry and defeated.

"Oh shit."

* * *

_A/N- Multiple things happening at once!_

_1) 50 Chapters! Ok so if I made them longer there would be less but shhh. 50 is a good number of chapters for the length and update times and there will be more coming! Mini milestone get!_

_2) 1000 reviews. Wait what? That is insane, thanks everyone. _

_3) Is the story going to be NaruHina? Oi get out of here question I stubbornly refuse to answer._

_Hope everyone enjoys this and here's to many more!_


	51. Fallout

The rain had at least stopped, but the entire team felt deflated and weighed down by defeat.

Their tactics had been thought out by the best, but an unexpected change of tactics from the Akatsuki had thrown them off.

The camp was sullen and quiet, as Hare bustled wearily around the surviving team members.

The barrier team had all died at Itachi's hands. Throats cut. He'd at least made it quick for them. With the barrier gone the Three Tails had become loose for a short time. Then another, terrible figure had risen and things had gone quiet shortly afterwards. The worst part had been the sheer helplessness of their cause in watching Itachi succeed.

All of them were too injured and depleted to put up any resistance to Itachi's push for the beast. The sight of the great red figure on the horizon had broken any remaining hope.

Nobody was in fighting shape now. Kiba and Hinata were shaken up by Shino's injuries, but were at least on patrol for anything further.

Anko was awake, but scarily quiet. She wasn't speaking, and had barely responded to the hug Naruto had given her.

The fire they had set was at least helping them to dry out. Hare finished bandaging one of Pig's wounds and made it to Naruto.

"You're last Naruto. I assume you are the least injured, but best to check eh?"

Naruto let the diagnostic jutsu wash over him. He couldn't see Hare's face but saw the shoulders droop as the man realised the extend of the injuries that Naruto wasn't telling him about.

"Of course. A fairly deep cut on one arm and the other broken. Then a couple of ribs to boot. Frankly, I'm impressed you survived long enough to kill the guy we were fighting. We had to kill him more than a few times."

"He didn't see me coming. It was easier than killing the other guy."

Hare looked up at him. He could see the grey-green eyes behind the mask holes look quizzical.

"Really?"

"Yes. The other guy isn't dead."

"You left him alive out there?"

Naruto shook his head and reached for a storage scroll from his bag.

"You'll probably find this hard to logically accept."

He unsealed the head and put it down next to Hare, who let out a disgusted noise as it tried to bite him. They face was burned so the eyes wouldn't shut. The head gnashed fiercely and mouthed obscenities.

Hare just stared at it for a few moments before shaking his head.

"Put it away. That is...freaking me out."

He did so and tucked the scroll away.

"What are you going to do with that?"

"Bury it somewhere where it won't be found or throw it into lava. I can't think of a way to kill this guy."

Hare seemed shaken up by the sight, but got back to the arm.

"I'm going to re-break the arm so it will repair right. This will hurt, but I doubt you'll care."

He felt the flare of pain once more as the ANBU's hands did their work. The man put the arm into a sling for him.

"Rest until we start our way back to Konoha. We've sent word back and a reserve team should be on its way, but don't push yourself."

Naruto nodded as the medic headed for a patch near the fire and fell asleep quickly. He walked over to where Shino lay. The boy had large bandages where the damage had been done by the undying man.

He stirred slightly as Naruto approached.

"Shino. How are your injuries?"

"Naruto-san. I apologise for nearly being killed. It made my mission performance much worse than usual. A poor reflection on your leadership."

Naruto could pick the fact it was a joke. It made him feel a small ember of pride that he could recognise such things now.

"An illogical conclusion friend. None of us could have anticipated such a jutsu."

"Indeed. Although our friendship now seems more complete Naruto-san."

Naruto tried to think why.

"I cannot understand why that concept is correct. I have shared combat with our team before, and been to your clan's. The weapon that seals our bond performed beyond expectation."

Shino gave a dry chuckle before wincing a little.

"Well. You shot Kiba-san, and threatened Hinata. Now your crossbow bolts have, indirectly, caused me injury. You've successfully nearly killed our entire team at least once."

He was right. Yet the idea wasn't shocking or worrying for him. Kurenai-sensei would probably rip him to pieces but...there was something...what was the word.

A sound erupted from him suddenly. A puff like steam escaping. More of it forces its way out of him, a rapidly oscillating and growing sound he couldn't contain. He recognised the sound and that merely made the feeling grow.

He let it out, unable to contain it, the noise escaping from deep within himself.

He saw Talon rise a little to look at him, and Anko suddenly looked up shocked.

The noise carried on and on for what seemed like forever. Shino joined in a little. In the quiet of the camp, everyone had heard their conversation, even if they were preoccupied. Hinata and Kiba joined it as they realised what Shino had said.

Talon joined in as well, even Anko managed a small chuckle.

Naruto felt the moment slowly descend and needed to wipe away a tear he suddenly found in his eye.

He had laughed. He'd never laughed before. That was sudden and unexpected and...incredible.

He realised everyone was still looking at him; Anko struggled upwards a little and wrapped him into a hug.

"Darkie-kun? Was that the first time you've ever laughed?"

"I believe so."

She wrapped him slightly more tightly, the hug was close and somehow more caring than he had expected. It wasn't the wild hugs she had given before; it was...somehow like family? He didn't know how the feelings worked in this way.

It was going to make his report incredibly long. The hug broke and Anko smiled slightly for the first time since she had woken from her battle tiredness.

"I'm happy for you Darkie-kun."

"Thank you Anko-chan."

She broke away and went to sit near Talon. Naruto busied himself in writing his report. Anko looked over and saw him writing.

"Oi. Darkie-kun?"

"Yes."

"Could you read some of your report to me? I need a bedtime story."

The request was odd and conjured up another old memory of Baka. He had enjoyed it, he had encouraged it. Naruto felt a sense of completeness now. He had partially atoned for failing to save the boy this time. He had kept it together when a friend was in danger. He had become stronger.

"Darkie-kun?"

"Oh. Of course Anko-chan."

Where had he been? Ah yes. The first alert of Akatsuki in the area. The report until then seemed so...irrelevant and trivial to the mission.

He started to scrawl and began to vocalise.

_"There they were, figures in the far distance, indistinct and fuzzy in my sight. The long tree trunks obscured our sight, but the team has more senses than simple sight._

_Our eyes are sharper than others, and we saw their chakra. They glowed with malice, the dark and distant chakra like a cold winter's night. They advanced slowly, giving us precious time to act._

_Kiba's nose was sharp as well, the wind favoured us as well. We knew how long it would be until they reached us and began to move._

_Like the deer we ran through the trees, sliding around branches and never slowing, feeling the wind rush against our passage._

_Towards our comrades we ran, with word of peril, with word of something unexpected._

_For there were three, not two, and three was more than we had hoped._

_Hands checked weapons as we began to break the shallow brush, the green life parting as we urged our way through it. Our movements were fast and urgent, every second had to be saved, every moment was needed._

_Not five minutes previous the beast had begun to truly take on form, and now our greatest fears were coming true._

_We had been found. Now we would fight."_

He looked up as he shifted his report over to the next page to see Anko sleeping, a small smile on her face. Talon too was sleeping.

He decided that speaking would now serve no purpose and went back to simply writing his report. There was a lot of detail to be put into this one.

Whilst he dryly recalled the events, he considered the laugh he had emitted. It was something he found absurd and unusual. The noise had been so uncontrollable like an explosion and yet it felt like he should have been doing it his whole life.

He briefly looked up to the skies once again, and the embers of the fire dancing as they rose. Despite the ache from his wounds, and the tiredness of battle, he felt almost content with where he was.

Yes.

This was a good place to be.

Although he suspected what would happen when he returned to Konoha.

* * *

Naruto sighed and went back to his report. He was actually proof checking it because it kept him from being restrained.

Shizune had been as insistent as ever that he not actually move too far from his room because he was overdoing it, which she explained was medical speak for "being an idiot".

He knew his injuries were bad, especially the arm, but he knew it would all be fine in the end. He could train other skills that weren't that arm certainly.

He had been spared the restraints in exchange for working more on the report, with Shizune infrequently checking up on him, and also to hear more extracts.

It was unprofessional in some ways but he didn't mind the company. He had changed in that regard, it was increasingly clear that he, on some deep level, needed people. He wondered if that was for the better or not.

There was a knock at the door and he put down the manuscript. It was basically done anyway.

"Enter."

He wasn't sure who he was expecting, and was surprised to find it was Sakura. She looked embarrassed and wasn't looking directly at him.

There was an odd silence as she inspected his chart, looking at it in far more detail than was strictly necessary Naruto was sure. When she spoke, her voice wavered with confidence and wasn't genuine.

"Shizune asked me to check on you."

"She didn't. I prefer the truth Sakura-san."

She flung the chart at him and he caught it with his good arm. She really had thrown it very hard; he could feel his hand burn a little with the force of stopping it.

"I...I...hate you."

That was unexpected, at least the directness of it was.

"What have I done to offend you?"

Sakura stared at him, her fists clenching. He wondered how he could stop the girl in case of an attack and prepared himself to throw a genjutsu at her, then prepared to break Shizune's rules in the hospital.

"You killed him. You killed both my teammates, both my friends! You killed them and disappeared for three years. Do you know where that left me? Where that left everyone? You nearly broke Hinata and you're hurting her now. You hurt Tsunade-sama and you left a big hole where you went. You only bring death and pain and I want to end you."

"I know."

"Then do something about it!"

Her voice echoed around the hospital room. Someone was going to notice the shouting from her, surely?

"Did you see what Sasuke did to your other teammate?"

The girl seemed to shrivel a little and looked away from him.

"I...I...loved him. Sasuke. I loved him and he rejected me. Then my other teammate swore to me he'd bring him back. Then both were killed by you."

"Your other teammate was nearly dead by the time I failed. Do you know what his last words were? I saw them. I read his lips and what I saw made me fire."

The girl looked at him, her anger replaced with fear and deep regret. He realised his voice had been louder and harsher than he had intended.

"Tell me."

The tone was low, and urgent. Deeper than usual. It stirred something dangerous.

"Why?"

"I...need to know. You need to tell me."

Naruto remembered the scene and only needed to remember the lips move. Covered in blood they'd coughed up.

"He said _'I'm sorry.'_"

"What?"

"I'm sorry. I was so shocked by what I realised it meant that I fired by accident."

Sakura slumped onto the empty bed and buried her face into her hands.

"That idiot baka. Always the good person I never saw in him. I...I..."

She dissolved into sobs. Naruto felt that he had no idea what to do. Clearly the girl was in no condition to be treating patients.

He took the heart monitor off his chest and noted the flatline on the equipment. It took twenty seconds for another doctor to come through the door.

He looked from Sakura, crying on the bed, to Naruto, back to Sakura before giving a deep sigh.

"Please don't do that, we have a call button."

Well why hadn't he been told about that? He'd ask Shizune.

"I apologise, I felt someone should take Sakura off home, she isn't in a place where she can treat patients."

The man pulled an arm around the girl who sobbed into his shoulder.

"Thanks kid. Do you mind turning the heart monitor off? It's clearly not necessary, and Shizune might have gone overboard again. She gets like that."

That was a relief. He pulled the plug out of the back of the box and it shut up and died. That was good.

He had never thought about Sakura when he had performed his actions and the new line of thought led to a stark conclusion.

When in Root, he had killed targets. They were a circulatory system with a brain that needed to stop working, usually by high speed implantation of a length of steel by dint of a handheld catapult.

He had never thought about their friendships and relationships. He didn't need to, they weren't his problem. He decided he couldn't think about all of this and do his job. He didn't need to worry about offending the feelings of his enemies.

But in Root.

The waters became murkier.

There was another knock. He felt like he needed a weapon.

"Enter."

The door was gently pushed open and he felt a lot happier when he saw that it was in fact Hinata. Unexpected, but after Sakura he wasn't that surprised.

"Hinata-san."

"Naruto-san. Since we're due another therapy session, Shizune allowed me to carry it out here whilst you're in physical therapy. How is your arm?"

Naruto gently moved his arm, which was in a thick and surprisingly stiff cast. He hated how it constrained his movement and wondered if he could cut it off yet.

"It is healing. I can wait until it is ready, but I dislike waiting in a hospital."

He sat on the bed as Hinata drew up a chair of her own. He had been allowed his own clothes after he had found the hospital gown to be useless. That was a small mercy at least.

"How is Shino-san?"

"He's healing as well. His injuries were not as bad as expected, and his hive kept the wound mostly clean during the mission. He will be up sooner rather than later."

Naruto nodded. He felt happy that his crossbow fire had not hurt Shino more grievously. He remembered the laughter from after the mission.

"Now then, last time we were able to talk freely about the maid incident, and about Temari. Any more thoughts on that?"

"None."

It was true. He didn't feel fear about the incidents anymore. The only test that could occur would be hearing screams, but Hinata didn't wish to test that any further just yet.

It was...liberating to not see the faces in his dreams anymore.

"I was wondering, I saw someone helping Sakura away as I was coming in. Is she alright?"

"She..."

He wasn't sure how to describe it succinctly.

"I talked with her and might have said something that upset her."

"Why?"

"I told her what his last words were."

There was a change in Hinata as she recoiled a little.

"Oh...you heard them?"

She sounded scared and had gone a little pale.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes. Well, no. His death is still, unsettling as a subject. I would like to know his final words, if you could tell me them."

"They were 'I'm sorry.'"

A tear slid down Hinata's face slowly before falling gently to the floor. Naruto watched its trajectory like it was an incoming bomb.

It landed with a tiny splash on the floor. Hinata looked away from him.

He slowly crossed the room and gave her a gentle hug, which she returned after a little while. He didn't know when to release it, but the human contact felt good for him as well. His arm, stuck in a cast wasn't able to get too close, but he adjusted it into the best approximation.

He could feel a few tears through the fabric of his shirt and decided it should continue for a bit. Why the information was causing this level of reaction he had no idea.

His thoughts turned to his own problems. Right now, there was only one remaining thing that Hinata and he had not touched on fully, and that was the memory seal.

He was frankly amazed that it hadn't reacted at all in the stress of fighting the Akatsuki; he had been too busy and high on the adrenaline of the fight to remember its existence.

He had felt it burn a little when Hidan had tried his technique, but he hadn't realised it was the thing causing it.

He felt Hinata loosen her grip a little, and he released the grip. The girl looked away as she wiped a sleeve under her eyes. He noticed that they were baggy with tiredness.

"Have you been sleeping well Hinata-san?"

She looked at him with the last flecks of tears still visible.

"Not really. But this is your therapy session Naruto. We need to take the final stage of your treatment."

The words were heavy in the air, like a cloying fog that made it hard for Naruto to breathe.

"I'm...worried about what will happen when the seal breaks. What will happen to you? How much it will hurt and I don't want to make it happen."

He watched her as she turned away and slumped back into her chair. Her concern was making him feel guilty inside for forcing it on her.

He knew it had to be done though. It was an order from the Hokage that she had taken another shinobi to enforce. She, as his commander, was well within her rights to force the seal to break without his permission.

For that, he was grateful. He was starting to understand how emotional commanders operated. Lord Danzo would not have been so kind or so merciful. At least he wouldn't have been if he wanted the seal to break.

"Don't be, I...I'm worried as well. That is to say my anticipation of the event is primarily negative despite the long term positives."

She nodded.

"I have another query Hinata-san."

"What is it?"

"During the mission you addressed me as Naruto-kun. I was wondering why?"

Well it was as good a time as ever. She had turned a little pink, which was a sign of embarrassment.

"I...almost see you like Shino and Kiba. You've lead our team, you've shared experiences with us that we couldn't otherwise share. We're closer than we realise. I didn't want you to die."

"I see. You occupy a similar place with me alongside Anko and possibly Shino. I certainly do not wish any of your deaths either."

Hinata smiled and that made him feel better.

"I brought something special to eat during the therapy session, but since that seems to have dissolved a little, let's just eat something."

She brought out a bag which had a rich, sweet smell emanating from it. Naruto noted the smell with a deep satisfaction. Hospital food, whilst nutritious, was a touch bland even by his standards. He wondered when he had gotten used to better foods.

He also wanted ramen again. Well if it was part of his recovery time he could slot it in certainly.

She withdrew the sweet smelling objects from the bag and Naruto felt a wave a nasal joy strike his nose. It was a very new smell, something sharp yet sweet. He had to stop himself drooling, which he managed with spectacular ease.

"These are my favourite. Cinnamon rolls."

Cinnamon sounded familiar. He'd found it mentioned in one of the books that Anko had given him some time before. It was given a passing mention as a cooking spice. He might have seen it in Orochimaru's kitchens, but it was rarely used.

She passed him one of the curled buns and he sniffed it more closely, which got a giggle out of Hinata.

He took a tentative bite, ignoring the sticky, sugary syrup on his fingers. It was good. It was indeed good. He preferred the more varied flavours of ramen that could exist though. He took another bite and felt warmer.

Hinata too was eating hers happily. Munching sounds filled the room for a few minutes as they ate the warm rolls.

Naruto washed his hands of the sticky sugar as Hinata finished her final roll. He watched her clean it off hers by licking it off.

She saw him looking and blushed a little.

"Sorry, my manners go a little off when I'm eating these."

"They certainly taste good."

They finished the rolls in silence.

"Well. Next time we have to get back to working on the seal. Don't rush your recovery."

"Of course."

She nodded and left. He wondered if she was going to the monument with her new knowledge.

He turned back to his discarded manuscript and began to write out the final details of his mission. He looked out of the window and smiled.

He was...content for the moment.


	52. Secrets and Ramen

The remaining Akatsuki began the sealing in silence.

Itachi felt a little bit tired, which was almost welcome. His fight against Anko, if he could call it that, hadn't tired him out at all. Still, it had confirmed that the curse mark was inactive and Orochimaru remained dead.

Defeating the beast and dragging the carcass back had been surprisingly easy as well. Chakra consuming, the beast had needed to be covered in Amateretsu and hit by a Susanoo before it decided to stay down, but easy.

His chakra was being taxed hard by the sealing. With two less members, one of whom had a lot of chakra, the job was harder.

Still, he was closer to his goal. Now there were four sides in Akatsuki. Himself, Kisame, Tobi and Zetsu, and Pein and Konan.

The four strongest left.

There was the sound of heavy, grinding stone as the dragons receded and the beast faded from view below the statue. Another eternally staring eye opened.

Silence reigned as the Akatsuki caught their breath.

Pein's voice echoed once more through the chamber.

"Only two beasts remain. The two most powerful. We will defeat them and bring peace to this world. Peace for everyone."

Tobi looked excited.

"Yay! Tobi wants this. When does Tobi get to go on an exciting mission with Itachi-senpai? How many beasts has he captured now? He's so awesome."

It was so unsubtle that Itachi found himself questioning whether or not the man was a highly skilled shinobi leading a dangerous double life or just an idiot.

Kisame started laughing and Konan just looked annoyed. She rarely looked anything other than stern or sad, which Itachi found a shame. She clearly didn't desire the path of war that Pein was leading them on, but she was loyal to him to the death.

Laudable, but foolish.

Who did he take out next? He realised he had to take out the man who had been his partner. Kisame would have to be next. He would be tricky to kill easily.

The man would detect his emotions through his sword before he could strike, and was a strong opponent. He would probably need his most deadly techniques to defeat him. That would drain him badly.

He did not wish to fight the man though. He could certainly use an ally in this, or at the very least for Kisame to be convinced away from the Akatsuki path.

The more combat he could avoid the better now.

Pein's voice sounded through the increasing empty feeling chamber.

"Kisame will capture the Eight Tails with you Tobi. Your first real test. Do so immediately."

Tobi ran up to Kisame and tried to hug him. He got within sword range before Samehada was held at arm's length keeping the flailing man at length. He desperately checked his momentum to avoid running into the snarly blade.

"Shut up. Let's go. I already dislike you."

"You're nowhere near as cool as Itachi-senpai!"

Kisame started to walk and Tobi followed, darting about the larger man. Itachi felt a pang of pity for his old partner. That left him alone with Pein, Konan and Zetsu.

"Itachi."

"Yes Pein?"

The man walked down to him, heavily pierced. Itachi couldn't help but see a slight similarity to someone else he'd known. The spiky hair, although orange, looked like someone he'd respected. Minato had been a role model before his death.

"What will you do in the peace I will create?"

Itachi hadn't considered that. He'd always assumed he would find peace in death long before the plan took place.

"I will rebuild my clan, perhaps have children. Certainly there has been little time for love in this life of ours. What of you?"

"I will maintain the peace that we create. There will always be those who desire war."

Itachi kept his gaze on the spiralling eyes.

"Sounds like it will never end Pein. Will you not seek healing or peace with yourself as opposed to threats and violence?"

"You do not yet understand the pain I feel Itachi."

Itachi turned away and walked to his meditation rooms. The man's voice echoed after him.

"You will need to do your part as well Itachi. When it is needed, you will help me Itachi."

He kept his anger in check. He did not understand the pain? He did not? What did Pein know of his life? Did he know what it meant to betray your entire family? Not simply to lose them but to kill them because you had no choice? Did he know what it was like to be a pawn of fate and to play the hand he had been dealt without complaint?

Did he know what it was like to see his greatest plan to help what he had left torn away from him by luck and the will of one person, however unintentional?

He felt like destroying things but contained himself. He was Uchiha Itachi. He was the last of his clan. He would not lose.

When the time came, Pein would know pain like never before.

* * *

Tsunade put the pen down as she signed yet another pointless document. She checked the title to see if it was anything important. It wasn't really, not in a military context. Just some shop owner requesting planning permission close to one of the training areas. Apparently that needed her approval.

Perhaps she could pawn all the responsibility onto some sort of lesser council who were focused on the non-military aspects of her rule. Nah. She had a Daimyo for that. Plus if you gave some idiot civilians power no doubt one of them would be a bastard about it.

Still, with several of her Jonin more battle powerful than her she felt happy in her role.

She took a sip from the bottle next to her desk and smiled. It was a good bottle. The sun was gently setting outside and she took a long moment to look over the view.

She heard the sound of someone landing at the open window.

"It's been awhile Jiraiya."

"It has. I haven't liked being in Konoha as of late."

She turned to her old teammate. He looked older somehow. A little haggard, certainly his hair seemed a little less silver and full than before.

"It's Naruto isn't it?"

"Yes. You want the reports?"

He really wasn't himself since his conversation with Naruto those years ago. The rejection had hit him hard.

"Of course, I'll review them before passing them on. See if I remember all the important bits this time. We killed another two of them, well, Naruto did. He only really claims partial credit for both. Hidan and Kakuzu. They'd slaughtered the temple monks on their way for no real reason. Probably the bounty on the head monk."

"How did he kill them?"

Tsunade threw him a book.

"Really? You still make the reports into books?"

"It's meaning the academy can take on more students and train them with better equipment, so I think its a win-win. Plus it improves the vintage of my drinks and means Anko destroys less Dango stalls."

"Heh. Never thought you'd be that pragmatic."

"Helpful side effects. Also it means that the orphanages are now able to provide a variety of healthy meals."

Jiraiya flicked through the small book a little.

"So, decapitated Hidan as expected. Headshot on the other. No wonder he didn't claim all the credit for the second, the ANBU did four times the work on him."

"Sadly there were three of them."

"Oh. Who was the third?"

"Itachi."

The man nodded grimly. Whilst Itachi wasn't entirely against them, he hadn't received any information from the man since Naruto's mission success.

"Any luck with your little counselling gamble?"

She caught the icy and dismissive tone.

"Some. She hasn't yet made him remember but I think they're close."

"Close or close to a breakthrough?"

"Possibly both. He deserves some good in his life after what he's been through. A little like you would if you didn't keep researching at the baths."

The man shrugged. It hurt him every second he was in the village.

"If you want to talk to him you have my permission and always have. I'm sure he wouldn't reject a talk with you."

The man sighed and seemed to sag under the weight of his burdens.

"It's just not how it was meant to be Tsunade. He should be the second coming of Minato. Hell, if he had been trained well he could surpass him. That little bit of Kushina in him would make him that much more dangerous and unpredictable. I should be teaching him, standing with him like Minato should have been. He should wield his father's legacy, not me. He should have the Rasengan and be a light in the darkness, not a passenger in it."

She heard the voice break a little and rose to give him a supporting hug.

"You did all you could. Sensei took a decision without your consultation. You haven't failed Minato. You honour him by protecting Naruto even now with your Akatsuki spying. Do not forget that, even if he rejects you, he is in your debt."

The man straightened a little and rose.

"Well, it's been fun Tsunade-hime. I've got to get going. If they are less two members, then I need to gather more intel. They should be weak enough now that I should be able to infiltrate Ame and maybe get out alive. Find out who the leader is properly."

"That's recklessly dangerous. Almost suicide."

"Then bet I won't come back."

She smiled. That was her teammate as she'd know him.

"Fine! Now get going. I hear one of the fences at the ladies baths got damaged and they haven't patched all the holes yet anyway."

The man gave a lecherous grin and leapt from the window once again.

That was definitely her teammate through and through.

Night had truly set by now, and the moon was shining out from behind the clouds. It was a nice night.

Her thoughts turned to her teammates concern. Naruto was nearly healed, if Hinata's report was to be believed. The seal remained.

She wondered if she had done the right thing. It had been a risk. Kami knew it was probably medically irresponsible. But Hinata was helped by it as well, even if she wasn't aware she was being treated.

If he broke the seal...

She had no idea what it would do to him. Hopefully with her there he would process the memory the second time without the seal. Would it be what he needed? He'd made it through the last mission unscathed.

Although something bothered her about the report. There was only a passing explanation about how Hidan's head had become so burned. Naruto wasn't a fire user. There was also a weird point where the description felt wrong.

She added the thoughts to the package for Hinata's next session. Maybe he could come and clarify his thoughts.

Shizune had probably noticed it as well. The book was still selling well.

She turned back to the paperwork pile and grimaced. Where had that bottle gone?

* * *

He felt marginally more comfortable as he walked brazenly down the street. Well, brazenly to his mind at least. He kept his gaze down and his hood as high as he could without actually wearing it.

The fact the cloak still billowed a little behind him gave a very interesting effect of someone ostentatious trying to hide in plain sight.

He ignored the slightly confused looks he was getting from anyone who noticed him.

He sat at the ramen stand and it felt like he was safer for some reason. Maybe it was having his back to the world and something to do in front of him that made him forget he was in the open and oddly exposed.

There was nobody at the counter to serve and he waited quietly, ignoring the other patrons. Then Ayame's head appeared at the doorway, saw him, and rapidly withdrew.

There was some noise from within the shop and her father came out with a wide smile on his face.

"Welcome back Naruto, what can I get you?"

"May I start with a miso ramen?"

"Certainly."

He turned to the open door.

"Ayame, miso ramen for Naruto."

His tone was a loud shout, but he sensed something a little different in the man's tone of voice. It sounded a little like the voice ANBU used for some forms of banter. Did that apply to parents and children as well?

"How have things been since you last visited?"

He considered. What could he tell the man of his missions and being hunted by a group of extremely powerful criminal shinobi? Probably little. Of his therapy sessions? Probably not as well.

"Things have been as usual for a shinobi. My training has gone well in the last weeks."

"Anything interesting?"

"Not really."

The man laughed.

"You wouldn't believe how rare that response is. You would not believe how many chunin here like to brag about their latest fireball jutsu and how huge it is."

He shot a glance to the other patrons who laughed.

"I find such techniques wasteful on chakra."

Teuchi raised his eyebrows as the other shinobi looked at Naruto, whose gaze remained locked on the stall owner.

"Well each to their own. Excuse me a moment."

He wandered over to the other customers and collected their money, then came back to Naruto once they had left.

"I have to go check something in the kitchen, I'll be back."

His smile was far too wide and Naruto found himself wondering why.

Ayame stepped out of the kitchen holding a large bowl and looking at the walls with intent. She looked different to before. Her face seemed paler somehow, and her lips were...differently coloured?

"Hey Naruto. Here'stheramenyouordered."

She turned and moved very quickly back into the kitchen. It was very odd. This was not how she had acted before.

Still the ramen was there.

"Itadakimasu."

He began to eat, aware of some quiet noises coming from the kitchen. Ayame stumbled out very quickly. From the way she regained her balance, he suspected she had been pushed.

What exactly was going on here?

He kept eating as she stood there staring for a moment before rubbing the back of her head.

"Sorry, looks like dad doesn't need any help in the kitchen. So...what do you think of the weather recently?"

He considered the question.

"It has been average, considering the time of year it is. I expect rain soon as it has not substantially rained for some time."

She nodded vigorously. He noticed that she had a faint pinkness to her face she hadn't had there before.

"I know, I like it when it rains. There's something so romantic about walking through the rain with someone."

He had no idea what made it romantic. Or what romantic really was. He needed to answer soon as she was looking at him in a funny way.

"Indeed."

He'd need to thank Shino later; it was a good neutral response to just about anything. She was looking around for things. When she met his gaze, she looked away, a touch more pink around the cheeks.

He was glad of the rapidly dwindling ramen in front of him. The girl seemed to be polishing the counter with her cloth in an idle but vigorous fashion.

"So are you doing anything this evening?"

That was an unexpected question. Her face did some odd things as well. She blinked once or twice and smiled at him whilst questioning.

"No."

That was easy enough. He wondered if there was a deeper meaning to the question. She appeared disappointed that he had only said the one answer.

He drained the last of the ramen broth from the bowl and smiled. He really did like this stuff. He looked up into the face of Ayame who was smiling and doing something with her hair.

It was certainly a nice picture to look at, but there wasn't anything really interesting there. He put the money on the counter and she looked disappointed.

"Do you not want a second bowl?"

"Not today. It was very good."

"Come back soon."

As he rose to leave, he had suspicions about the entire encounter. He'd never had anyone talk to him like that before. He needed to ask someone about it.

Anko would be a good choice for this, she was good with all forms of interaction, unlike Hinata and Shino, who seemed to specialise into other areas of human interaction.

He walked towards the nearest convenient alleyway to get up onto the rooftops but found another figure there first.

He activated his Byakugan on instinct and ducked the blow from behind him that would have left him unconscious. Then he started leaping up the walls.

Being attacked in an alleyway by unmarked shinobi. Either another nation was infiltrating far too well or this was a Root ambush. He suspected the latter.

The figures emerged onto the rooftops and Naruto swung the lead-weighted end of the kursurigama. One of them tumbled backwards to avoid it. He kicked the other one in the face.

They were predictable. These were not high ranking members of the elite. They were hamstrung by their inability to cause a scene in this place. He wouldn't need to kill them. Just get into the open.

He leapt off the other side of the building and headed for the Hokage tower. They wouldn't be able to follow him there.

Sure enough, they didn't. There was no-one following him at all.

He slowed his movement as took a more circuitous route homewards. It was odd. Danzo was not that foolish. He surveyed his home at a distance. There was a figure inside with a familiar signature.

He realised how odd it was that his former master had come to him. It was unexpected.

He would have to be on guard. If it was unexpected then it was likely that he was in danger. He scanned for other shinobi but found none.

He dropped in through the open window and straightened up to his full height.

The man didn't turn from where he was.

"Danzo-sama."

"Naruto."

There was silence.

"You wished to contact me?"

Naruto realised quite how dark it was, and for once did not feel comfortable. He wasn't sure of anything any longer with his former lord.

"For some time. I expected that after your time in Orochimaru's base you would return at some stage. You did not. Now you have twice been recklessly endangered by the Hokage's actions. Twice you could have fallen to the Akatsuki."

The man still wasn't looking at him, instead inspecting the floor. Naruto suspected the man had his eyes closed. It was a statement. Back turned, eyes shut. Naruto could strike at any moment and potentially kill him.

"The Hokage has commanded you poorly. You are a being used as a pawn when you should be being used as a rook when you should be a knight. You are an assassin not a soldier! A force in the dark, not a fist in the light. She knows nothing of you and your skills."

Naruto was unsure. Whilst it was true he had been developing other skills in his time in the light, it was not entirely true. There were emotive statements interwoven into his logic.

"You do not belong in this place Naruto. You never did."

Naruto had to remember to breathe. Something felt wrong in this situation.

"So now I come not to ask, but to demand Naruto."

"Demand?"

This wasn't right. This wasn't how his lord acted. He activated his Byakugan just as he saw the light once more begin to restart in his former master's eye. He saw the invasive stream of chakra begin to wind its way towards his eye like a mist.

His suspicion of the man being a henged foe was dispelled immediately.

"You will rejoin the Root forces. We will take care to hide your disappearance. Let us leave and have you return to where you belong."

The voice was so hypnotic but he was going to fight it. He repelled the chakra but it came at him again and again.

He slung the bow up into a firing position.

"No."

"No?"

There was an inflection he'd never heard from the man before. It was surprise.

"You cannot trick me with your genjutsu twice. You remember our training."

The man gave a dry chuckle and he felt the chakra intensify.

"You will come with me Naruto."

Then he was forced to move. The crossbow bolt stuck in the door and the man spun round to face him. The drop in concentration stopped the jutsu.

"Come!"

"No."

He saw the man's visible eye widen and he put another bolt into the bow and aimed it at him.

"Naruto. Think logically. Do not let the emotional taint you have picked up since you left Root cloud your judgement."

"Taint?"

The man advanced a pace and slowed up as the tip of the bolt followed his jugular.

"Yes. Consider why I keep my Root shinobi from emotion. Why I give some the memory seal to keep them in control. Control Naruto. Control. Your perfect control made you the ultimate assassin. If these years had been spent with Root instead of the rag tag shinobi of this village you would be picking off the Akatsuki at your leisure now."

The man was staring at him, and he could see the man shake with each breath.

"You speak of emotion as a taint, yet you feel anger. I can see it in you. Your body language speaks of it."

"I have to bear the burden of emotion so my shinobi do not have to. You do not yet understand the burdens of leadership."

"I do not need to. I reject your demand."

"You fool."

The blow caught him before he could react. His former master was after all a veteran shinobi and powerful. His face stung with the impact.

"You used the seal at last I see. Even if I cannot use my jutsu to force you, I can see the mark. You truly disappoint me then. I see the shame on your face as I mention it. You wish to break it. Yet you know fear. You disappoint me."

Naruto rolled free and brought the crossbow up and fired.

The shadow clone burst as the bolt struck it and Naruto felt his side burn once again.

He felt like he was shaking and realised he was. He wanted to fire a bolt into the real Danzo now. Once he had been manipulated. Twice was too far.

Yet he didn't want to kill the man without a plan. He felt the pain in his side grow once again and felt a surge of emotion stronger than any he had felt before.

He was not Root anymore. He was not full Konoha shinobi, but he was not of Danzo's ilk. He needed to break free. He needed to break the seal. He gathered himself and tried to walk to the window. His steps felt unsteady and weak but he was going to make it.

The pain in his side burnt fiercely but he would endure it to the end this time.

He had to find Hinata. If anything it was for her mission more than necessity. Actually he needed her there. For some reason she felt connected to it more than anyone else.

He stumbled into the night and started to move for the Hyuuga compound.

* * *

_AN_

_Good news everyone! I am going to go back to updates every three days! This is due to the Bad News Everyone! I've finished writing Ghost and now just need to edit, spellcheck and cut it up into chapters. It's been fun to write but every story must end eventually. This one will end in about ten or so chapters._

_Another bit of imploring that even though it is finished I still want as much feedback as possible! Liking it is good, suggesting ways I can improve is far more awesome for an author like me! Think something is wrong and want to debate it? I do! Please log in so I can PM. If you review I will respond via PM._

_Otherwise enjoy as always._


	53. Shatter

Her hands gently pressed the flower she had chosen to add to the collage she was making. It was a nice wind down for her in the evenings.

She had gently collected the flower after the training session. The faded blue colour was exactly what she needed. She was thankful that Shino's bugs had confirmed its health for her as well.

She muttered a gently wish under her breath as she pressed the flower and watched for the colour change. If she was right about what the flower was, and she had researched it, then it should.

She smiled gently as the blue turned to a beautiful texture of banded blues and greens as the pressure was applied.

It was perfect. She mounted it onto the paper she had prepared which flapped gently in the breeze.

There shouldn't have been a breeze. She turned to see a body collapse through the window.

"Naruto? What are you doing here?"

"We break the seal now."

"Now?"

"Yes."

His eye was urgent and wide, the blue piercing her gaze and looking into her expectantly. It was late. She was not ready for this.

Then he cried out in pain and rolled sideways.

There was the sound of running feet outside her room. Neji pushed the door open and took in the scene.

"Hinata? What is going on?"

Hinata felt herself start to panic until he cried out in pain again. No time to get flustered. She needed privacy.

"Help me get him to one of the meditation rooms then go to the Hokage tower and fetch either Shizune-sama or the Hokage."

"What?"

Her voice was not wavering. She was not stuttering. In fact she was being louder than she'd ever been.

"Now."

Neji nodded mutely and hefted Naruto up who gave another discomforted noise.

She led the way to one of the meditation rooms. It was small, but it was soundproof. That was good.

Neji laid Naruto down and turned to ask Hinata a further question. A single look told him that it was not the time. He started running.

Hinata turned to Naruto, who had his hand on his side. She pulled back the shirt to see the marks where his fingers were pressing into the flesh, leaving marks.

"What's happening Naruto?"

The responses were said through grunts of exertion as Naruto held himself as best he could.

"The seal...is breaking. Lots of pain. Keep talking."

"Why?"

"It's distraction from the pain until it breaks. It is close but it needs more."

She thought.

"Talk about what?"

"The seal. Why I should break it."

She thought.

"You should break it because of what it holds and how it holds you back. You should break it because it is your orders and my mission to ensure that you break it."

He let out a cry and she paused. His hand gripped her arm tightly, she felt her arm becoming numb as he cut off the blood. His voice was little more now than a rasp.

"Keep...going..."

"You should break it because you want to break it."

He began a twitch and she used juuken strikes to quickly disable his limbs. She remembered the sound of thrashing from before, presumably when he had used the seal. She didn't want him doing so here and hurting himself.

He let out a cry that shook the room and hurt her ears.

She saw the seal begin to fade into his side. Slowly unravelling until just the centre remained. Then it was gone.

The scream ended and he slumped back unconscious. She used the sleeve of her jacked to mop his brow.

Now she could get help. She opened the door slightly and shouted for assistance.

* * *

It is hard to say what the experience of reliving the memory felt like for Naruto.

At one moment, he was in a lot of pain, and then he was in another, different lot of pain.

There hadn't been a transition as such, more of a shift into his body of old. It was like reliving the memory of Baka's death with Itachi, only without the change of scenery being controlled by an artist.

If anything, he was just there.

There was definitely a lot of blood here. He couldn't see at all. He'd remembered up to this point.

The instrument descended into his chest as he'd expected it to. There was fresh agony. He was definitely crying in pain.

Someone was talking somewhere, but he wasn't really paying attention. His chest was open in front of him and he was somehow conscious during the process.

The instrument twisted and he felt the pain blossom to a climatic high.

Then it all started to fade away and the pain lessened suddenly. The vision of reality became a blur of non-colour and shifting darkening lights.

How he could see this he had no idea.

Where exactly was he? Was this the effect of some drug? The pain had gone. Why had he blocked this memory?

Then there was something forming in the darkness. A shape, wide and dispersed seemingly in an endless room.

His head swan and he felt nauseous at the geometry of the place. It felt wrong. Angles that weren't angles existed and coexisted with each other in ways that made his eyes water

He realised he didn't have eyes to be watering. In fact, he felt weightless and nonexistent. He could see but he had no idea what he was seeing with.

The lights ahead were coalescing from directions he realised he couldn't have imagined. This was discomforting but why would be block this away?

The light was forming something like a veil in front of him, pale grey standing out like the sun on the swirling mass around him.

There were features now. Two hands emerged from the edges as it took on a vaguely humanoid form. The spikes of a long beard began to emerge, hairless spikes.

A nose and mouth formed a dark red on the grey.

Then the eyes formed and opened.

He felt a chill run through his non-body and felt fear like he had never felt it before. The eyes were looking through him a piercing him. The nostrils flared and the mouth opened, thin and full of sharp teeth.

The Shinigami loomed before him, seemingly miles away and bare inches from his face. He couldn't work out what geometry there was. It was cold, so cold. Not painfully just numbingly.

The creature before him drifted closer without any noticeable effort. Robes rippled despite the lack of wind or air. Naruto realised he hadn't been breathing in this place.

An arm rose slowly and a single finger rose to point at his heart. He knew it despite being effectively bodiless.

The creature got closer and world now a mass of grey and fangs. The hand got closer and he was suddenly moving towards the creature's mouth.

The deep, soul chilling laughter echoed as he got a glimpse into the mouth.

Then he started to scream.

* * *

Hinata saw him bolt straight upright, sweat pouring from his body. He had been out for only a few seconds but he looked like he'd seen a ghost.

His arms, juuken struck and disabled, started to move anyway. She realised he was trying to form hand seals and grabbed his hands.

"No. Naruto. No."

His arms struggled, but the juuken strikes had robbed him of his strength.

"I have to. I have to. Never again. Nevermore. Nevermore!"

She nearly slacked her grip. He was shouting, tears streaming from his visible eye as he fought her desperately.

"You want to break it Naruto."

"I don't want to anymore. I can't...the memory is...the pain is immense."

"Tell me."

His face strained and he let out a cry and anguish.

"No."

He struggled further. There was the sound of running feet outside and the door slammed open. Hinata didn't look round, she was holding Naruto down.

"Hinata, what is going on here?"

She barely heard her father's voice over Naruto's cry which was bleeding his voice raw. His struggles were weakening, his breathing shallow.

"It's part of my mission from Hokage-sama."

She couldn't see his expression and didn't want to imagine it. She was focused on the boy she was holding down so he wouldn't hurt himself.

The cry had turned into a series of ragged sobs. She couldn't see him but didn't honestly care, Naruto was her sole focus in this moment.

"I...I'll leave you in peace."

She heard the door shut behind and let out a sigh of relief. That had gone better than expected. He was shaking gently now, the tears still falling. She held him close and he clung to her like he would fall.

"Naruto...what did you see?"

He shook his head fervently and held her more tightly.

"Naruto, tell me. It'll feel better."

She heard the sound of his mouth opening and closing but nothing coming out other than sobbing sounds from tired vocal chords.

"When you're ready. It can wait."

She wondered where Neji was with Shizune. There was the muffled sound of voices from outside the door, but she decided she didn't want to know what they were saying.

Right now, her universe was her holding a friend who needed her.

When he did speak, his voice was little more than a hushed whisper.

"Paper."

"Paper? Do you want to write it down?"

"Yes...write. Don't leave me."

She stood, gently lifting him upwards. She had to support his weight as his legs were weak and didn't provide any support. She remembered why and undid the damage she had done to his legs; he steadied a little but was still leaning heavily on her.

She took a step and he took a tentative one next to. Whatever had happened to him when the seal had broken had left him robbed of some sort of vitality.

She slid the door back to reveal nearly a dozen Hyuuga staring at the door. A barrage of questions hit her at once.

"Hinata-sama, what is wrong?"

"Who is he?"

"What's going on?"

"Is he a suitor?"

Hiashi Hyuuga stepped between Hinata and the house members.

"All of you. Silence. Return to your quarters. This is a matter for Hinata and her mission. Anyone who harasses her further will suffer severe punishment. Am I clear?"

The various Hyuuga bowed and shuffled away to their rooms. Hiashi turned to Hinata. Naruto was resting on her, his face buried into her shoulder. She met his gaze.

Something was different. Gone was the cold indifference that he usually held to her, and it was replaced with genuine concern.

"Is there anything I can do for you daughter?"

"We need a place with writing materials where Naruto-kun can write without fear of interruption."

She gave him a squeeze and he softly tightened his grip.

"Of course daughter. I shall put Neji outside to give you peace when he returns with Shizune-san. He informed me that you sent him. I wish you success, although I shall wish to speak with you both further when you are ready."

He walked over to Naruto.

"Naruto, would you allow me to carry you there? It will speed the process up."

Naruto shook his head. Hiashi sighed. It was like he was a child unwilling to be separated from his mother.

"Naruto-kun, I'll still be here. You can trust my father."

Gently, she loosened his grip. Hiashi caught him as his legs buckled and hefted him upwards.

Hinata started running towards the library and Hiashi began following at a run a moment later. What had caused his daughter to change into this mindset? Her kindness in the situation was unprecedented, her strength great.

Just like her mother.

The thought crossed his mind and he had to accept it. Hitomi had always been kind and strong in that kindness. Hinata was just like that.

He nearly smiled.

Hinata pushed the door open and Hiashi let Naruto gently down into a chair. Hinata put a reassuring arm around him which he returned.

"Hinata...chan...thank you."

She smiled and his spirits seemed to lift a little more with that. Hiashi returned with paper and a pen for him.

He took up the pen and started to write feverishly. Hinata looked over his shoulder as the characters sprawled onto the page like poetry in motion.

Her father took a glimpse and turned away. He would greet Neji at the gates and direct him there.

He took a last look at his daughter and could have sworn, just for one brief moment, that he saw Hitomi standing there.

* * *

Tsunade looked up as the doors of her office burst open at speed.

She was about to admonish the idiot who thought they could make a dramatic entrance on her when she realised it was Shizune. That meant something bad was happening.

They definitely weren't under attack so what on earth could have caused this?

"Shizune?"

She held up a document. Tsunade sighed.

"More paperwork?"

Shizune was too out of breath to respond and merely shook her head, pressing the document onto the desk.

Tsunade took a look at the title and all other thoughts fled from her head. She looked at her protégé who was leaning on the desk as her face returned to a more normal colour.

"Have you read this yet?"

"No Tsunade-sama. It has only been read by Hinata and Naruto."

Tsunade brought out the rest of the report from a draw in her desk. She turned to the last page of the last book. The timings matched up.

She wanted to read the entire report immediately and learn what had happened. She could dive in immediately. There were bigger issues.

"What of Naruto?"

"He's currently sleeping in the Hyuuga compound under watch by Hinata and Neji. I think she's standing a vigil over him until she is sure he's safe."

Tsunade nodded.

"Her devotion is exemplary. Go to the compound and stay with him. We're going to read this with him and see if we can offer more guidance. I will see to it personally. This goes beyond the medical issues and into my status as a leader."

She brought out a bottle from under the desk and poured two saucers before passing one to Shizune who was too confused to resist as one was pressed into her hands.

"A little something to celebrate though. She succeeded."

Shizune nodded and drank the dish with her master. The older woman slapped a hand on her shoulder.

"That's the spirit! First drink on the job for you Shizune."

She spluttered a little. She had just taken her first drink on the job. It felt good. Far too good. She could see how her master had made this a habit.

"I...I think I need to sleep Tsunade-sama."

"Good idea. See you tomorrow when we straighten this all out."

Shizune staggered towards her home as Tsunade turned once more to view Konoha. The first rays of sunshine were beginning to rise above the city below. The sunrise was going to be a good one.

She took a second swig of the sake and smiled. Maybe a third would be in order too.

* * *

_A/N A less celebrated milestone than reviews, but I think more important is that this story now has over 1000 followers. So hello to all 1000 of you!_


	54. Friendly Little Chat

He awoke with sweat pouring from his face and gasped the air like it was water in a desert. He was in an unfamiliar room covered by a soft blanket and resting on something soft. Something was resting on his shoulder as well.

A gentle look indicated that it was Hinata's head. She was sleeping. He shifted her head onto a pillow and moved the blanket over her. He wasn't going to be sleeping, so she needed it more.

He remembered everything. He remembered the helplessness of it all, Hinata forcing him onwards. He owed her much for that.

He remembered being carried to a library and writing furiously, manically until the account was on the paper as opposed to purely in his head.

Somehow that made the memory more bearable. It still haunted him but at least it was out now. He could deal with it.

His hands twitched before he realised that the seal was broken. He could try using it again, but he had broken it. He had broken that which his former master had cursed him with. He realised how emotive the adjectives were and didn't care.

He pulled himself upwards and took another deep breath. He could stand on his own now, although his limbs still ached a little. Orochimaru's torturers had certainly left some sympathetic scars his limbs wanted to bear a bit longer. He could feel the phantom wounds clearly.

He found his cloak and pulled it around himself. The anonymity it would provide could be useful.

He looked around for a door and realised how much trouble he could be in. He was in the Hyuuga compound.

Surrounded by people who might kill him if they knew about his eye.

He found the door and took a last look back at Hinata. She was stirring a little, but she still slept. He decided to leave her in peace. He liked the picture the room formed, the morning light gently warming the room through the blinds, Hinata sleeping under the pale blanket.

It was a nice picture.

He gently pushed open the door and walked out of the room. Someone looked up from where they were resting on a wall. They looked up with somewhat sleepless eyes.

"Neji-san."

"Naruto-san. I take it you are better than before?"

"Somewhat."

There was silence for a moment.

"Naruto-san, since we last met I wish you to know I have changed for the better. It took some time, but I wish to apologise for my past behaviour."

"It is accepted. We did not start out on the best of terms. I am grateful that you kept your word about my eye."

Neji looked away and Naruto heard more footsteps. He recognised the man as the one who had carried him. Hinata's father.

The man had a very neutral expression on his face.

He realised Neji had left rather abruptly. The man gestured for Naruto to wait as he looked in on Hinata, who continued to sleep. He shut the door gently and turned to Naruto.

"Naruto-san, my name is Hiashi. I am head of the Hyuuga clan, and Hinata's father. We need to have a talk."

"It is expedient to meet you Hiashi-sama. Where do you wish to talk?"

"The gardens. Join me."

He fell into step with the man awkwardly. He was not used to walking with people. Running yes, standing before yes, and not walking with.

The man wasn't looking at him.

"I have heard so little of you, and I wish to know more."

"I know nothing of you Hiashi-sama."

They kept walking, various Hyuuga were moving out of the way, and he could see the glances they shot him. Confusion was chief amongst them.

"I wish it to remain that way until I know more of you. I shall wait until we are more alone and away from prying ears before continuing."

He followed the man. He looked at the windows and something was familiar and it was confirmed when the door was opened.

The courtyard looked different in the morning light than it had the night, but he recognised it all the same. Hiashi motioned and the doors to the courtyard were closed by unseen figures. They were suddenly very isolated and alone despite being in the centre of possibly the largest clan compound.

He sat by the pond and gestured for Naruto to do the same. Naruto put a little distance between them, sitting opposite to the man around the pond like he had done with Hinata months before.

She shared a gaze with the pupiless eyes of the Hyuuga clan head.

"Allow me to tell you what I know of you Naruto."

There was the soft sound of birdsong from a tree and the water rippled as a gentle breeze moved through the central gardens.

"At first I heard a mention of you from Shikaku Nara. It should not surprise you to learn that we are friends, after a fashion. I was told of a boy who had succeeded in killing a Junchuuriki during the invasion by Oto and Suna three years ago.

I was impressed. Calm under an assault, performing his mission without quandary or calm even if it meant killing without asking questions. A fine person. Yet there was no record of anyone matching that description from your class or any academy class. I was intrigued.

Then there was word from my nephew."

Naruto started looking for ways out of the area should he need them. He could create a shadow clone and short notice if he needed to run for safety. He wished he could activate his eye and see how surrounded he was.

"I see this makes you uncomfortable and I wish you not to panic, at least not yet. If I wish you killed I will make sure to follow correct protocol of our clan, that is to say Konoha law. I have no wish to kill a fellow shinobi without permission. Should I be granted that permission that is where clan protocol takes over.

For you see, my nephew spoke of a boy who had defeated him in exchange for silence. He had stood up for my weak daughter insulted our clan.

He had a Byakugan.

I was angry at first, and nearly demanded that Tsunade-sama bring you before me to remove the offending eye. The chance never came.

For then there was a tale of a boy who had shot and killed a comrade and then disappeared. Had he continued the mission? Had he fled? Had he defected? There were many questions and many possible answers.

I wasn't the only one who wanted to know what happened when Kakashi returned.

I was again angry at being denied my vengeance. Over time, I had time to think.

On the one hand, you had someone who insulted my clan by his existence, humiliated our clan's prodigy and nearly broke its heir. Possibly a coward. Possibly a traitor. The worst and lowest of the scum.

On the other you had a shinobi who continued the mission no matter the risk. A skilled fighter, capable of finding a weakness and ruthlessly exposing it. Defeating Neji without excessive power is no easy feat.

Years passed and I pondered you less. I was more concerned with Hinata. She looked to be leaving the shinobi path and that worried and angered me."

The man paused briefly, looking over the calm water and into Naruto's single visible eye. Naruto wondered why he was being told this. Perhaps the man wanted him to know more despite denying it.

"Then one night, Hinata returned in a different frame of mind. She should have been deflated and saddened, having left the shinobi way for good. Instead she came back...I think angry is the term. No. Furious. Determined.

That night someone broke into the compound and spoke to her, and she lashed out in anger at him.

It did not take long to figure out it was you.

I was again, angry. You break into my home and scare my daughter. You humiliate my clan by sneaking in past our all seeing eyes.

I nearly demanded your death. Nearly.

My hand was stayed by news of your innocence. Clan heads get access to a little more information than the average jonin. It helps keep some unity within the clan system and our relationship with Konoha.

I then learned that the Hokage intended to entwine the path of you and Hinata by putting you near her team and making her your therapist. Or at least I inferred it. Hinata told me little of her mission other than rank and general description. The rest I could work out.

I could not object, else I would face censure from the Hokage.

When the Akatsuki came and went, you remained standing. I then spoke with another of my friends.

Shibi is not a man taken to affect affairs outside his clan, yet you gained his attention. Not only that, you were welcomed into the Aburame home. That is a privilege. I was shocked that he would trust you.

He mentioned that his son would trust you, and that he would trust his son. He questioned whether I trusted my heir so.

Then yesterday I saw my daughter act in a way I had never seen before. Maybe it is my fault for missing that part of her nature. She was determined. She did not stutter or waste time and she gave orders. She gave orders to everyone including myself, something I think she will feel bad about but should not.

There was a part of that in Hitomi...yet I feared that it existed only in my other daughter. Some of that will lives on in Hinata as well. You brought it out of her.

Now...she has succeeded in her mission and I get to meet you at last.

So tell me Naruto, which are you? The thief, the traitor, the spy. The one who sows darkness and despair amongst my clan and you enemies. Or are you a shining light, a shinobi who will never give up. The one who gains the trust of the Aburame and the apparent favour of the Hokage? The one who stands up to S ranked shinobi and lives?"

Naruto considered his answer. It had never seemed more fitting, given what he had seen.

"I am the shadow. The smoke in your eyes. I am a ghost that hides in the night."

The man considered.

"Then cease hiding for this conversation. Although I have seen your face without the hood, it was not by your choice. I request, nay, demand that you show me."

Naruto lowered the hood and saw the look of comprehension on the man's face.

He realised it had been some time since he had last hacked his hair short, and the beginnings of spiky blond hair were forming on his head.

"Shibi was right. The resemblance is faint, but there. I will keep that safe. I wish to see the eye you hide. Do not fear, I will not harm you here and now."

Naruto undid the bandage around his eye and let it fall. The Byakugan met the gaze of the man.

He sighed and buried his face in his hands for a moment. When they rose up again a single tear rolled down a cheek.

"I always wondered what happened. I...cannot blame you for this truth, yet you must understand my anger."

Naruto realised that the man recognised the eye. That meant he knew the gaze well, so well that he would react to it. He considered the closest relationships the man could have.

"It belonged to your late wife?"

The man's gaze hardened a little.

"Watch your tongue. It is her eye, not yours."

He pulled back a bit, his hands unclenching.

"But yes. I recognise it. I suspect Hinata finds it familiar too, if she has seen it. I wondered what happened that day. When the doctors told me she had died, I looked into her dead eyes. I was...clouded by grief. Something looked wrong but I had no time to focus. I was a father with two young children whose wife had just died. I had...bigger concerns and responsibilities.

I always wondered, but with her body committed to the grave I never could. I know now that a part of her lives on.

You still do not answer my question though, which Naruto are you? Are you someone I should hate and fear, or someone I should cherish and praise?"

Naruto again considered. The man's gaze bored into him deeply.

"I am neither."

"Then what are you?"

He considered again.

"I am an instrument of the Hokage's will. She commands and I obey."

The man shook his head.

"Perhaps I am too direct, or not direct enough. It is hard to know with you Naruto. You are not without emotion like myself. You must feel something."

"I do not have any other way of describing myself in such ways. I am a Jinchuriki. I am a shinobi of Konoha. What are you asking for?"

The man considered, stroking his chin gently.

"Allow me to rephrase. I wonder how far you would go to complete your missions. I wonder what you would sacrifice, what common boundaries you would break.

Would you hesitate to kill a comrade to succeed on a mission? Would you leave Hinata to die on a mission if it made sure it succeeded? Would you use a teammate as bait?

It this test of character I wish to gauge for you. I want to know if you are an emotionless killer who will use anything and everything for his mission, regardless of ethical issues. Or are you someone who is not."

Naruto remembered all of his missions.

"At first, when I undertook my first missions for the Hokage, I was such a shinobi. I nearly shot Hinata to keep her silence after she spotted me on a mission. I shot through her teammates shoulder to kill a man later on.

Had I been on a mission with her as a teammate, I would have shot through her, or anyone else to succeed. I would not aim to kill, but if it were necessary I would no have hesitated.

At the invasion I used clones with explosive tags to kill enemies, and subjected my foes to fear, wearing them down and slaying them without mercy.

When I was told to retrieve Sasuke, I went straight for him, ignoring the other fights I saw taking place on the way. I left them to their fights so I could complete my mission.

I shot a friend accidently whilst aiming to hit my target behind him. It was a low percentage shot that I had to attempt. I killed him, even if he had been wounded grievously.

If you judge me by that standard then I am what you seem to fear."

The man nodded with a look of understanding on his stoic face.

"I sense there is more you have to say Naruto. Speak freely. This is a place where men can talk plainly away from prying eyes and ears. Not even the Hokage herself will impede on this clan tradition."

"Since I returned from that mission I have...changed. I know now the kinship of teammates and the bonds that hold us together.

I know friendship more, taught to me as I killed my first friend. I know more now.

I look upon my previous actions and they make less sense with my new mindset. It is confusing.

I know that my duty as a shinobi is to complete my mission first and foremost. To do so, as you say, I should sacrifice teammates if necessary, use every tool and person to my mission's goal. Give my life if necessary.

Yet now...I understand the bonds that tie people together. I know more of emotion and the things that once seemed so illogical to me. I understand why people will abandon their missions and save their teammates."

"But would you Naruto? Would you do so?"

He considered briefly.

"It would depend. To make a blanket statement on the issue would not be fitting. If it were somebody injured grievously, perhaps I would. If it were a close friend I may not. The circumstances and the situation make such a question dangerously vague."

The man nodded.

"So where in the balance of emotion and logic do you stand?"

"I do not know. It would be variable. I prefer the logical route. It makes decisions that can be justified and quantified, that can be recorded and debated afterwards to a correct answer. Yet the emotional side cannot be denied, and denying it can have negative consequences.

I think I can illustrate this better. You know of me threatening Hinata three years ago?"

The man nodded.

"When Neji brought up your presence I talked to Lady Tsunade. She did not like you then, but she was a fair leader. Perhaps she knows more than I do on the issue, it is not unknown. I must trust she keeps it secret for a reason.

She told me of the incident then, and I thought I would be able to take my anger out upon you. Then she protected you. She saw something and knew something."

"Indeed. Imagine I had followed through, and before the previous Hokage could save her, I had shot her dead. How far would you have gone in your search for me?"

The man seemed to stiffen. Naruto had noticed a lack of body language clues and facial changes, so the man was emotionally controlled. Now he saw a flicker of something deep within.

"I would have torn down walls, metaphorical and physical. I would have fought and searched. You understand why?"

Naruto realised he could.

"From what you have said, you hold a deep affection for her as a daughter, and as the embodiment of Hitomi."

The man very briefly and very slightly smiled.

"Yes. At the time, perhaps, I would not have felt so much affection. That is my shame to bear now. I would still have fought."

"What if you began to find secrets that could have lead to conflict? Too many deaths? Possibly to a civil war in Konoha? Maybe the death of your entire clan."

The man pondered it. The sun had risen a little by now, reflecting off the calm pond surface and lighting the area with gently sunlight. The sky was slowly losing the last vestiges of the pink sunrise.

"I see. So that is where you stand. An excellent illustration. I would only be willing to go so deep, bound by my responsibilities as a clan head and a shinobi of Konoha.

I take it that you would do the same."

"Yes. I seek to make Konoha greater above all other villages. If I see a net gain in the action then I will perform it for the good of all. It becomes more difficult the less people you consider."

"A classic ethical debate about government by consent. You are intelligent. I think I have the measure of you now."

The man rose and indicated for Naruto to do the same.

"I have made my judgement of you, likely as you have of me. I will not try to reclaim your Byakugan, nor push for your censure. The reason is not that I believe that you will not cause harm, not that you will not make mistakes, and not that you are not dangerous.

It is partially that I believe that you will do more good than harm. That you will help Konoha rather than harm it. You hold the friendship of the Aburame, who chose friends carefully. You hold the trust, albeit in an odd way, of the Hokage.

Most importantly, you have the trust and affection of my daughter. You have made her better, and made me realised things I have long ignored. For that, I thank you. I trust that you meant no more harm, and offer, in some ways, my friendship to you."

The man bowed, and Naruto instinctively copied the gesture. He clapped his hands once and the doors were opened by unseen figures.

Hinata, Shizune and Tsunade were very quickly in the courtyard as soon as they did.

Tsunade gave Hiashi a stern look.

"Hiashi-sama, I very much dislike it when you lock an unbriefed shinobi of mine into a Hyuuga man chat. Particularly one who requires medical supervision."

"The correct term for our talk is a conference of minds Hokage-sama. I wished to learn more of Naruto and have succeeded in doing so. He is unharmed I assure you."

Tsunade nodded.

"Just wait for me next time something like this happens. I'm sure you are now aware why he was in your compound?"

"I only know that it was a part of Hinata's now successful mission, but no more than that."

Tsunade barely showed any sign of shock or expression change.

"Good. I need to take Hinata for debriefing."

Hiashi bowed.

"Then our business is concluded, may the Will of Fire burn bright with you Hokage-sama."

He walked off, Neji joining him once he had left the courtyard. Tsunade turned her full attention on Naruto. It was like being caught in bright sunlight that was focused directly onto him.

"Hospital now Naruto. Let's talk what you saw last night."


	55. Ghost

Itachi meditated again.

He suspected that he was merely killing time now, with Kisame out chasing the Eight Tails with the masked man. Tobi. Ha.

Doubtless his usual partner would return with the Jinchuriki and then he could enact his plan. He would try to get Kisame to join him, or at least convince the man to take the money he had earned and go free.

Kisame couldn't really hide that well, but overall he would survive the world he was in. If he was defeated in battle, he wouldn't actually mind.

He was something of a blank in that regard, someone who could never have truly fitted in with peacetime. A creature of war, possibly the best at what he did.

Itachi awaited his return so he could reason with the one man he called a friend.

Zetsu rose from the ground, a wide smile across the white, expressive side of his face. His darker side remained as unreadable as ever.

"Zetsu. What brings you here?"

"The sealing of the Eight Tails is to commence now. You are required."

It seemed that Kisame would likely have returned then. He began to run to the sealing chamber. It wasn't out of excitement, but the quicker they could seal the beast the better.

He leapt onto one of the outstretched fingers to join the remainder of the Akatsuki.

There was the figure of a man at the base of the statue, a muscled man with several scabbards on his back. No swords were present. He looked like he'd been beaten to hell. There were gouges in his skin from where Samehada must have bitten deep.

He looked around. Many of the fingers were of course now empty. He remembered a past time when all ten could have been filled. He recalled Orochimaru being a member.

The snake's death had been extremely satisfying.

He looked to where Sasori would have stood, to where Deidara had as well. His eyes passed over Konan and Pein, the latter of whom was in meditation, preparing to commune with the horrifying statue that filled the chamber.

There was Zetsu, at least one of him. The black half there was only ever one of, but he'd seen multiple white before.

Then the empty fingers of the Zombie Brothers. He didn't miss them that much at all, both had been horrible people that the world was better off without.

Then Tobi leapt up to his left and waved at him. He turned away. That man was going to be the death of him.

He looked at the finger to his right. Any moment now Kisame was going to appear there.

Pein's voice rang out.

"We are ready to begin the sealing. Prepare yourselves."

What of Kisame? He looked to his left where Tobi was preparing himself in an exaggerated fashion, by stretching and throwing a few shadow punches.

Was Kisame injured badly enough by the fight to be unable to participate? Sure he wasn't dead? He needed to ask but now was not the time.

The dragons emerged and Itachi began fighting to control the process of the sealing.

He grit his teeth and got to work as the dragons descended on the man.

* * *

They sat in one of the hospital counselling rooms. Naruto recalled it was the one their first session had been held in.

Shizune brought out the paper that Naruto had finished the report on and held it out to him.

"This report was for you to read Hokage-sama."

Tsunade nodded.

"It is, however I want you to read it to me. I believe this is the final step in your accepting it fully. You shouldn't hold it inside, even if it is written down. I want you to say it yourself, to us."

He nodded. It would hurt, remembering it once again, but if the Hokage ordered, he would follow.

He looked at the words on the page. He didn't remember the time after the seal broke exactly, but he remembered being carried and writing as if he needed to expunge the words from his body.

He could read what he had written. He took a deep breath as he summoned some energy. The sleep from the previous night had definitely not been enough, no matter how peaceful it had been.

"Report Update 864.

_'The scalpel descended into my innards yet again, a fountain of blood coming with it. Fresh pains blossomed like flowers in a meadow, a few more amongst so many others._

_There was pain like the sun rising anew, a fresh beam of light striking the dark lands. The pain spread through my entire being as the scalpel twisted and turned. I would have admired their persistence to their craft, and their dedication to keeping me alive through it all._

_Yet they can only do so much before making a mistake._

_They must have nicked something, or pushed my clone's body too far, as the pain began to fade along with my vision. Everything faded._

_Sounded faded, touch faded. Smell faded. I could not smell my own blood, or hear the sound of their laughter and questions._

_The world became feelingless, without stimulus or presence. I was floating in a void that felt like it was dimensionless and endless._

_There was...colour without colour. Form without form. The land beyond is a place that the mind cannot encompass easily. It was, and probably still is, beyond description._

_Then there were surging and winding non-colours that were distinct from the other more constant colour that pervaded this place. I could not look away but I could look everywhere. I had eyes that could see everything._

_Yet I felt like I had my body, my full body. My eyes were my own, my flesh unmarked by anything. I had never felt so whole and yet never felt so not._

_The colours were converging, spinning into one another, merging and splitting and fading and becoming brighter. They did things I could not conceive of and do not thing I could remember._

_Yet there was soon a figure. A figure that floated in the nothing yet walked on it. A figure in the colours yet not of them._

He could remember this. The description he had written was exactly how he remembered it. He shivered a little and paused. He felt the expectant gaze on him from everyone in the room.

_I saw the shape first._

_Wide, vast, yet smaller than myself. At once huge and minuscule and insignificant._

_Robes billowed in wind I knew could not exist in this non-place. Arms extended wide, no longer than a man's and yet seeming to stretch all around me. It encased me without looking like it did, surrounded from one spot before me._

_The outline of a head that seemed part of it's shoulders, or perhaps shrouded in some great hood began to appear. Spikes of hair like a beard were present._

_It seemed like an eternity that took seconds. It glowed and yet seemed not to be there. It was so utterly inhuman yet so utterly familiar._

_Then slits appeared like nostrils, and a mouth began to open. There was no depth to it, only a raw read line with dark lips and sharp teeth._

_Then the eyes were opened._

_Thin, slitted. They looked at my form and seemed to light a burning red from within. _

_It all seemed so familiar, like I knew it was going to happen. It looked like a mirror of myself and yet it looked so opposite._

_So polar, so contradictory in such a contradictory space._

_It now looked grey, or a non-colour that was like grey. Again it is hard to conceive of such a thing._

He could remember all of this, he had held up during it. He could see the figure in his mind, or half see it. How could he recall something he could not write fully. How did you explain the way the laws of the earth seemed to twist and change and shape in such a place? How did you forget it?

_I felt cold, colder than I had ever felt in what I have to consider the real world._

_This chill went through me, became me. It was impossible to feel cold though. I had no body to speak of, none that I could feel. Yet it chilled my fingers, stopping my hands. It chilled my legs, I could not move._

_It froze the air in my lungs when there were no lungs or no air in this place._

_It drifted closer, the chill somehow growing in magnitude as I went further and further into its proximity. Yet there was no proximity in this place._

_A single word escaped me, from a mouth that was not there and frozen shut, with words that were not words yet formed a word, and a sound carried by nothing and everything that pervaded all of the world._

_Shinigami._

_I could not prevent it, and still there was a cloying sense of knowing how this would go._

_I was a clone, how could a clone be here? Could a clone die without dispelling? How long did it last? Was this the last dregs of consciousness before the body and mind disintegrated? Was the clone cold and dead on the slab with a soul free? Did it matter?_

_I was holding on tightly to sensation, even as nonsensation destroyed my memory of what felt real. _

_It was so close, so close. It was everywhere, its eyes were everything. Its fanged maw threatened to swallow reality itself._

_Then it raised an arm. It was slow. It took centuries that spanned a millisecond. A hand, clawed, aged, grey yet not there emerged._

_I could not understand what was happening yet felt like an actor in a play, knowing and playing my part to the full. _

He could remember this too. The manuscript trembled in his hands. He didn't know how far he was in. He had to keep going.

A hand touched his arm softly and he looked up into the face of Hinata. He could see a tear rolling down her cheek as she nodded gently. Her actions told him what to do better than words.

He had to keep going. He had to. This was worse than any physical torture, more painful than any wound. He would take the hard yards.

The reassuring pressure on his arm reminded him that this was just a memory.

_It whispered again with sounds and motions that went beyond words, sounds beyond sounds and yet more primal, more basic and more telling._

_It whispered my name and the chill felt like fire and ice pounding through veins I did not have. I felt dizzy yet could feel everything._

_The mouth grew wider and I could not help but stare with my eyes, everything felt so strong and so unreal and so real. It is beyond mortal words and human description._

_The maw still opened, and it was fading from red. The figure was so big it had become the area. The mouth faded still and grew. It was like falling._

_Then I saw down the depthless mouth and the sight within broke me like a storm snaps a twig._

_The nothingness within went beyond a lack of colour._

_It was nothingness. _

_It stared up and me and beckoned to me without words and movement but with such irresistibility. _

_I screamed and screamed._

_I would not submit to it yet I was being pulled deeper in._

_I could not stand the nothingness. There was nothing there. The abyss stared up at me and drew me onwards into nothingness. The dark abyssal void of nothingness. _

_The sound of mad voices began to sound, the sound of a billion billion screaming souls, the sound of every living thing screaming in terror._

_This was beyond fear. Beyond mortal terror. It was the abyss from which there is an end. I could feel it, the cloying feel of darkness ripping all I was apart._

_Then it ended and I was whole again. I was in a forest where I had been seconds before, yet felt I had not seen for millennia._

_I was...I was alive. _

_Yet I had the memories of what seemed like death._

_I could not cope with the suddenness of the transition, the rush of memory and paradox. My hands slammed through the hand signs before thought could grace my mind._

_The seal in my side burnt with the fire of the sun._

_The pain was intense and my body thrashed as it tried to cope. Hands grabbed me, fighting my movement._

_Then there was a brief time of darkness._

_I opened my eyes to see a familiar face, wracked with confusion and concern._

_I asked it to smile and it did._

_With relief, my mission ended and the darkness of sleep and exhaustion claimed me. _

He slumped into his chair, energy having left his body. Hinata was sat in the chair next to his, tears rolling freely down her face. When she saw his gaze she nodded before turning away to wipe away the tears.

Shizune was shaking gently, tears on her face as well.

The table Tsunade was gripping splintered and broke, dust falling from her fingers.

"This concludes my report Hokage-sama. I truly am a Ghost."

* * *

All of the Akatsuki except Pein sagged to their knees as the sealing finished and another eye opened on the grotesque statue.

Itachi could feel his body ache with exhaustion. The less of them there were, the longer and more draining it was.

Kisame was still not present.

Pein's voice rang out, deep and menacing through the chamber.

"One beast remains before peace. We are close to our goal."

"What happened to Kisame?"

Everyone looked at him. He felt himself tremble a little.

Zetsu twisted round, part movement, and part shifting of body parts.

"He was fighting the Eight Tails. _So fast, so strong, so powerful._ It overcame him at the last _he did so well! He nearly beat it._ Then Tobi was able to finish the job on the Junchuuriki _he was so weak by then, so pitiful._ It was just in time as well _nasty Raikage was close_."

"What killed him?"

Tobi bounded over, arms flailing, Itachi heard Pein call for something but he ignored the man. He wanted answers.

"Nasty fish man was on the wrong end of a tentacle blow. It crushed him and the blood went splattering everywhere. It was horrible and nasty. Tobi nearly fainted!"

Itachi held his tongue.

"His remains?"

"We disposed of them;_ we haven't eaten sushi for so long. _Tasted leathery_._"

Itachi fought to control himself not to vomit at the idea. Something felt very, very wrong with this situation.

He turned on his heel and marched from the room. There was someone running after him. He felt an arm gently touch his shoulder.

"Itachi-kun, it is ok to be upset by his death. Even as we are I recognise you saw him as a friend."

It was Konan. It was unexpected to see her away from Pein. It was also fortuitous.

"I am angry. He was a fine partner and someone I got along with in this place. His death leaves a void that cannot be easily replaced."

"Do not worry, when we capture the final beast, there will be no more need for fighting and death. There will be peace at long last. You have to believe in it Itachi."

"Peace?"

He looked her in the eyes and she nodded.

"Peace. Itachi you have been defined by war for so long. When was the last time you knew true peace? When have you not been haunted by death?"

He chuckled at the irony and saw her expression waver slightly. He was tired, so very tired of this waiting game.

"Konan, I am sorry."

Her eyes glistened in the half light as they looked into his. They widened as his eyes changed and twisted into kaleidoscope shapes of deep red and black that spun.

She tried to turn away but it was far too late. Itachi's hand slammed over her mouth to silence the scream that would have alerted people.

Tsukotoyumi burrowed deep into her psyche, past layers of defence and towards her deepest fears. It brought them forwards, showed them crushing her desires and wants. It burrowed deep and ripped outwards like a barbed hook.

Under the guise of the angel, she was just a frightened, orphaned girl looking for a saviour. He could see her memories but could not allow himself to be distracted by them.

He'd never directly killed anyone through a genjutsu, but he knew he would have to do his best. No marks, no trace. Nothing physical.

He eyes fluttered as the stresses her mind felt began to take physical effect on her body. Her breathing hitched for a second as the rhythms in her heart suffered an arrhythmic burst.

She slackened and Itachi laid her gently down as her legs buckled. Her pulse was faint and erratic, and Itachi could feel it ebbing away.

It was sad that her humanity had brought her to her death. Itachi had always found that good about Konan, despite what little he had seen. She had a humanity to her the other members did not have. Pein was something strange, the Rinnengan eyes making him seem inhuman. The zombie brothers, Sasori, Orochimaru, Zetsu, to a degree Kisame. None of them were really shining examples of looking or being human at all.

He used an earth jutsu to merge her body with the walls, making it one with the earth. Zetsu would have a harder time finding it there, and Pein would not easily be able to revive her even now even if he could find her.

He turned and kept walking away towards his meditation chamber.

It would look like a heart attack. It had been the most peaceful way of doing it. Now he would force Pein's hand.

Him, Pein and the Masked man.

They would have their showdown. He had to win.

For Sasuke. For vengeance. So nobody won.


	56. Going Down

Naruto found himself back in Tsunade's office for a further bit of discussion. He wanted to be on missions again. Doing things.

However she wanted to know something more. He certainly felt better for having conquered his own personal problem and faced up to the reality of his life after death.

"I have a few more questions I didn't realise the night you broke the seal. I had some thoughts about your previous report about the fight against Hidan."

He remembered that fight because he should have died. The man's jutsu hadn't affected him at all when it had devastated Shino.

"You didn't describe the fight in any real detail. I want the real story. You didn't simply cut off his head did you?"

"No. I was outmatched and suffered the reported injuries; he then attempted to perform the same jutsu on me that he did on Shino."

She shook her head with a soft smile as he continued.

"When it did not work I took the opportunity to remove his head. It took two blows as I reported."

She was smiling. He wondered why.

"You didn't put it into your report because you didn't understand why it happened."

"Yes. It seems now I understand more. Perhaps his ritual had some basis in a Godlike being that demanded death and it believed me to be already dead. Either way it was a stroke of luck as opposed to something based on skill."

"You idiot Naruto. I've almost stopped being shocked and worried. You're too much like your father in some ways."

"You knew?"

"Files. That and the resemblance when you came in with long hair the similarity were almost uncanny. If you let it grow out a bit you would get the ladies in no time. By which I mean you would be more attractive to them before you take that the wrong way."

He decided to remember that for the future should he wish to attract girls. He did not wish to currently do so. Or did he? This was a worrying new perspective on life. He decided now was not the time to think about it.

"Well at least what happened now makes sense to me. You've been lucky so far Naruto. I don't want you to engage any more Akatsuki. Don't push your luck any further than you have. You're not meant to be an upfront fighter and I can't risk you. For all we know you're the last one left.

Right now, you've done enough. I'm keeping you off the front lines and as far away from Ame as possible. If you see Akatsuki flee on sight."

He had half expected the order and couldn't disagree with it. He had been pushing it. Then again, how many of them remained? What was Itachi doing?

He had to accept that it wasn't time for him to be fighting. Someone who could take out an S-ranked shinobi reliably was going to take out the S-ranked shinobi. He didn't mind that.

"Will I be allowed to take on missions in the mean time?"

"I'd be tempted to say no if that wouldn't lead to you going utterly insane. Don't argue I know you need to do things and I don't want that being something I can't control. They'll mostly be patrol missions, stuff that should be low incident. If anything that needs your speciality turns up I'll be sure to let it happen."

That sounded...actually not satisfactory. Being with friends and doing calm missions until Akatsuki were gone was a perfectly logical premise. It was the correct orders for her to give to him.

And yet he wanted more. Something with excitement. Something where he could feel his blood pump and ignore the pain of his wounds. Something big and dangerous where he was close to death. Again.

He would have to try to accept the orders.

"I accept."

"Good, I'm actually promoting you to special jonin; you'll be mostly in charge of team 8. Kurenai isn't fit for duty, so I'm pulling her from the standard forces for a while."

That would make things more tolerable at least.

"Are there any more secrets you want to share right now?"

"Two."

To be fair to her, she barely looked shocked once again.

"What you were meant to say was, 'No Tsunade, I don't. Everything in your world can now be at peace and paperwork has ceased to exist_.'_"

"The secrets pertain to Danzo and Itachi."

That got a little bit more of a reaction.

"Itachi?"

"He confronted me on the Iwa recon mission I undertook with Talon and his team."

She poked him in the chest. It was like being punched by a genin.

"And you're not being drained of your life right now because?"

"He's not on anyone's side anymore. He's going to try and annihilate the Akatsuki from within and then he'll come for me. He also confronted me after I had beheaded Hidan, directing me to the other fight."

She sighed deeply.

"You really have to tell me these things Naruto. I feel even more justified now, but worried about Itachi's goals. Then again, it works to your advantage in a lot of ways. I'm in the mood for a lot of problems at once, what about Danzo?"

"I wasn't the only member of Root."

"Shit."

She hit the table and Shizune was into the room in moments. Impressive reaction times and the lesson taught by years of the occurance.

"What do you need Tsunade-sama?"

"Fetch Talon, Shikaku and..."

"Don't do it."

Tsunade stared at Naruto with a ferocity he hadn't quite expected. The whisper had escaped his lips before even he could stop himself.

"What?"

"Don't do what you're about to do. It's an emotive based response that will lead to a worse outcome."

He was suddenly slammed into a wall and held there by a well manicured fist that held his body glove with an iron grip.

"You question my judgement?"

"Yes."

The fist was cocked back and Naruto expected this to hurt and possibly break something. Shizune had cried out and taken her other arm. The Hokage's face was stiff with anger.

There was a few seconds before the fist was lowered.

"Explain what you would do then? I have a rouge force of shinobi in my village, have been lied to by a man who advised my sensei and was like a brother to him. I have been manipulated, and you lied to me in doing so.

Explain why I should in any way acknowledge you? Why should I not simply remove you from service? Why I should trust you now that you reveal this?"

"It is hard to explain, but I believe that a force based approach will only lead to more harm."

Tsunade sighed and turned away. He realised that, despite her youthful appearance she was still old. She had to be in her fifties at least.

"You realise the burden of being Hokage?"

"Yes. You must take decisions that determine much and affect the entire world at a stroke. Your command could save or doom thousands of lives. You command thousands of shinobi and control the largest landmass in the nations."

"Then you realise that I cannot tolerate a cancer within my ranks. When we treat cancer we operate on it Naruto. We cut it out totally and destroy it. Sometimes that means destroying some good as well. It is a price I do not wish to pay. Yet I must."

Naruto nodded. He understood the issue.

"What of longer term Tsunade? What of when other nations hear of a battle within Konoha? How many lives then? What if they ally and invade? What of Akatsuki?"

"I know. I am stuck in this position of knowing and being powerless. I wish to exercise my anger and wrath upon his forces. What option do I have but force? Ignoring it would not be responsible."

Naruto considered.

"Danzo has not struck at you yet. If he wished to he would. He must know that attacking you directly will cause more harm than good."

"He wants to remove me?"

"It was a conversation with me that sparked the motivation to break the seal. He wanted me back in Root and was willing to use the same jutsu he used to manipulate me into lying to you."

Tsunade looked at him wearily.

"He has a jutsu that can do that? Odd that we do not know of it. What if you are lying?"

"I am not."

"So what do you propose?"

Naruto considered this. Danzo was the problem, not the Root. Could you remove one without the other? No. One would have to be removed.

You could either pick Root apart slowly or you could try to remove Danzo.

Would the man listen to reason?

Could he be convinced to disband it? But disbanding it wasn't a good idea either.

Could he be convinced to cooperate with the Hokage? Could the Hokage be convinced as well? He considered it unlikely. What was needed was a bond, an understanding between both Root and the Hokage.

There were few options. Root needed a commander that knew both sides. He realised there was only one person.

"Can you trust me Tsunade?"

"With what?"

What was Root summed up simply?

"With shinobi. With a force that you wouldn't have control over, but needs to exist. With a knife in the dark you can deny and not accept the handle of yourself. A force that does the dark and dirty work that is all about the practical, even if it is abhorrent. With carrying the darkest of secrets and shunning all else but responsibility."

Tsunade gazed long and hard at him. Her eyes searched his of deceit. They found none. They searched for signs of it being a joke, a sick joke that he would ask such a thing.

"I cannot allow Root to exist Naruto."

He had to press his point. She looked tired and weak and he felt a sense of sadness that he was attacking at her weakest. Shizune looked timid and unsure seeing her master in this state.

"You cannot exist without it. A light cannot exist without darkness Lady Hokage. Yet the light and the dark must know of each other. Balance. Cooperation. With someone you trust like that in command you can at least be sure you know of their doings. It could save lives."

She shook her head; he could see tears forming in her eyes.

"No. You cannot do this Naruto...I...cannot allow it. I cannot allow us to go back to that time of darkness."

"I have born worse secrets. I have born the feeling of death itself. I can bear this."

She knelt so she was at his height and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I cannot make such a decision lightly Naruto. I need...time to think this over. What sensei would do. What a Hokage would do. Not what Tsunade would do."

"I obey your word Hokage-sama. To the death, and beyond."

Tsunade smiled.

"You're more like your father than you think. Ask Jiraiya when he returns. That goofball should be returning from Ame soon. Hopefully with information about what is going on with the Akatsuki. Just...go. I'll contact you with information. Train as you see fit."

He nodded and jumped to the window to leave. Her voice called to him one final team.

"Naruto...think about what you ask as well; think of what you'll lose as well as the duty you feel you have to fulfil. Think about who as well."

He nodded and took to the rooftops.

He realised he had a lot of thinking to do.

* * *

Itachi was having trouble waiting this time. He suspected that any time soon he was about to be in the most difficult battle that he would ever face.

Possibly his last. If he survived then Naruto was in a lot of trouble.

Still, there was nothing to do but wait for now. He knew that this was likely to be a fight none of them wanted.

Simply leaving had crossed his mind, but it took him away from his objective. It had always been going to come down to it.

He sat cross legged and tried to focus himself on preparation. Having to use Susanoo on the Three Tails had been taxing enough for his eyes.

Still, he had enough energy to win this fight and kill at least one of them.

That is, assuming that they teamed up together.

Then he heard the footsteps. There were two sets of them, although one set was a lot louder than the others. He smiled and rose, fingers twitching with anticipation.

It was finally time.

The footsteps stopped behind him like the sound of an army coming to a halt.

"Itachi. Where is Konan?"

"I assumed she'd be with you, you being the God to her angel."

He turned to see the seven figures behind him. The masked man bounded forwards, arms flailing around him wildly, the stupidly long sleeves billowing.

"Tobi doesn't want to see a fight; Tobi thinks she's just missing."

"Drop the act."

"What act, is Tobi acting?"

His backhanded slap to the man sent him sprawling dramatically. He had to admit the man sold the attack well.

"Owwwww why would you hit me?"

Pein moved forwards. Itachi counted the bodies.

"Six. So these are your much vaunted paths. You leave this place so little I thought I'd never see them. You accuse me?"

"Yes. I will rip your soul from your body Itachi. I will burn you and leave nothing left."

"You have no proof."

Not that he needed any. Konan was gone and he was going to end up in a fight. Zetsu probably knew as well.

The figures spread out further around him, one of them staying back.

"You killed her. I know it. I am God of this place. Nothing escapes my knowledge."

Tobi came bounding back between them.

"Noo. Tobi doesn't want you to fight. Tobi doesn't like this. Tobi wants us all to eat dango and have fun together."

He spun rapidly to face each of Itachi and Pein's main body in turn. The two hadn't taken eyes off each other.

Pein spoke first.

"Be gone from this place, it doesn't concern you."

"But Tobi is Akatsuki too. Tobi liked Konan."

Itachi held back a smile. The man was going to wind Pein up as far as he could and then run away to get the victory.

"I think Tobi should be involved Pein. After all, he's one of us and has nearly done as much for us as you have. I think he's right."

"You are both fools."

Tobi jumped behind Itachi and cowered a little behind him. Itachi maintained eye contact with Pein, his eyes pools of grey.

"Really? You think that Tobi is just a fool? You know so little of him. Why don't you tell him Zetsu?"

The two-tone man slithered out of the ground.

"I do not know _it is silliness Itachi. _What you mean _you speak madness. Why _would you say that Ita_chi?"_

"Because you know the truth, even if you will only acknowledge it as you stab Pein in the back."

It was imperceptible but Pein's gaze, all six of them, flickered to the two tone man. One of the paths stretched out a hand and the man sank away from it.

The lead path turned to face the man who had shifted over next to a strangely calm looking Tobi.

"I wondered Zetsu. I can sense you like you sense me. Your arrival to me was too sudden, and then when this Tobi appeared it was equally odd. You flee from my touch even though it is nothing unusual for me to extract the truth from your white side. What don't you want me knowing?"

He stared at the man and then there was laughter. Dark. A voice sounding like it had been crushed and darkened by coal and fire and smoke. A gurgling, guttural and dark sound emanated from below the mask.

"Oh poor innocent Nagato-kun. You really thought you were in command? A god?"

One of the paths slammed through where the man had stood only to phase through and smash into a wall. Stone yielded beneath the blow.

"Careful boy or you'll collapse this chamber. You think you could just make a jutsu with its power and use it freely? You think I would let you? Forces beyond your control have been in command since before Akatsuki existed."

Itachi suddenly realised what the man was doing. It was almost frustrating in some ways. He was ready for combat to the death and the man was setting up a standoff.

"You setup a no win situation for us all Tobi. None of us could possibly win this fight against both of the others, so it follows that none of us will attack each other this entire time."

This earned another guttural laugh.

"Very good Itachi-kun. Except that there are four of us."

"Zetsu doesn't count. I could defeat him without using a jutsu."

"I wasn't referring to him."

Another figure appeared by the wall as his jutsu was dispelled. The man rose to his full height, white hair waving behind him in great spikes.

Jiraiya rose from the shadows with a grim expression on his face.

"You know my information has already been sent on to Konoha. Killing me solves nothing."

Tobi continued to laugh.

"You think I care? Here we are four of the most dangerous shinobi on the planet and we all have axes to grind. I think we all know that this is going to end in the greatest fight the world will ever see. It's a shame none of you are leaving alive so nobody will ever know."

"Why?"

"Two of us are willing to do anything to ensure we are the last one left."

The Amateretsu blast slammed into two of Pein's bodies and engulfed them utterly. They fell back, screeching as Pein's other bodies swung round to look at Itachi. The Mangekyo Sharingan blazed strongly in his eyes, a trickle of blood emerging from under one of his eyes.

"Itachi! What do you mean by this?!"

The main path shouted at the stoic Uchiha. Rinnengan looked at Sharingan, a deeper red than ever. Whether it was the light of blood was no matter. The paths charged at Itachi with deadly intent.

Itachi started backing out of the chamber as he fended off the barrage of taijutsu.

Tobi laughed.

"Ha, the Naraka path and the Animal path gone already Nagato-kun?"

"Nagato?"

This earned more laughter.

"You didn't know oh great Toad Sage? That your former student is now nothing but a shell of a man filled with rage? Precious Konan dead? And you can see Yahiko for yourself. It's amusing isn't it?"

Jiraiya greeted the words with a barrage of short range taijutsu. Tobi twisted, dodged and phased through the assault without too much effort.

"That the best you have?"

"Have you even got anything?"

Tobi continued to laugh before Jiraiya pulled back and slammed his hand to the ground. Two elderly toads appeared on his shoulders.

"Jiraiya-boy, we were about to have dinner. I take it this is serious?"

"Sadly so Shima-sama. I need you and Fukasaku-sama to gather Senjutsu for me."

The other toad gave a dry laugh.

"Good luck Jiraiya-boy. This one is stronger than he looks."

The toads placed webbed hands together as if in prayer and Jiraiya's eyes reopened.

"I'm honoured you think me worthy of your legendary sage mode Jiraiya-sama. I look forward to seeing how strong it is. Even if it does make you look disgusting."

He barely moved in time to avoid a punch which still sent him flying into a wall despite not touching. The wall didn't yield as he flew straight through it and walked back out of it. Jiraiya smiled.

"That's just the beginning. I think I'll take out that mask next."

The man's posture changed subtly to Jiraiya. Gone was the edge of enjoyment and relaxation. The man was ready for serious combat.

"Itachi and poor little Nagato have left us, so let's make sure this stays between us Toad Sage."

"You die here."

They leapt towards each other; Tobi phased through him and tossed a kunai at Jiraiya's back which simply bounced off. They landed and leapt again.

This time Jiraiya came at him with a Rasengan ready and waiting. The man simply phased through it. The attack struck the wall and more cracks formed in the damaged wall. There was the sound of rock crushing under the strain.

Jiraiya sprinted for the exit as the cavernous chamber collapsed inwards as the crack spread to the ceiling. Flakes of dirt and chips of stone fell like rain before the larger rocks came forth.

Tobi didn't move, he too busy watching the ceiling fall, his body language showing childish amusement at the destruction about to occur.

Then there was the sound of creaking metal from above and the city built above found itself with fewer foundations. What seemed like an entire building fell with it with a scream of tortured metal and falling stone.

Jiraiya ran as the dust exploded up after him along the same exit that Itachi and the other bodies had taken. A sudden kick to his side sent him sprawling into a crouch and he leapt upwards to meet Tobi in the air. His tackle drove the unexpecting man to the ground before he simply phased through Jiraiya's body and stuck downwards.

Jiraiya rolled and lashed out with a kick that forced Tobi backwards.

"Hmm, that did a little too much damage for my liking. Think of the innocent children who lived in that building Jiraiya-kun."

He let a punch phase through him before grabbing Jiraiya's arm.

"Let's take this someplace else."

Jiraiya watched as the world spiralled away and another world spiralled into its place.


	57. Only One

The main path roared in frustration as it heard the collapsing cavern and the sound of a destroyed building collapsing downwards to its destruction.

So far, Itachi had found the fight surprisingly easy to fend off the four man taijutsu assault. Then again, he knew they weren't unleashing their full strength just yet.

Genjutsu were nearly pointless with them all together like this. No. What he needed was to simply slaughter them all.

There was to be no mercy here. He just needed more space.

He followed the paths upwards, further up out of the tower, fending off attacks. His eye ached from the earlier use of Amateretsu. There was plenty of that to come as well.

Still, he needed more space to really unleash on Pein's bodies. Pure power was going to prevail here and not any grace or skill, at least for the moment. It was a shame.

This was not the fight he would have had against Sasuke. That would have been a true fight, a duel between brothers. He would have been able to pass the torch onwards and have a final battle that he would bear no regrets from.

This was just going to be a gutter brawl in comparison. He was going to feel some satisfaction when he defeated the man.

He got out into the open and the rain that seemed to always fall on this place began to soak his robes. The street was deserted as he prepared himself.

He ducked a blow from one of the paths and kicked it away. He blew a fireball at another which it absorbed with its hands, emerging unscathed.

That was good to know at least. He wondered whether it would save it against his next jutsu.

He felt the pressure behind his eyes grow as he summoned his chakra.

Red fire began to pulse around him, growing in size and taking on shape. The paths closed the distance just a moment too late and rebounded of the ribcage of fire that had formed around Itachi.

He felt the pain arc into his body as the strain of the technique began to pull at his body. He was far above such matters though.

He saw the chakra absorbing path moving to try and drain the chakra away. He danced out from the ribcage, dragging the man inside before beginning to pummel the man with taijutsu.

The man was strong and fought back, blocking and trying to grapple with Itachi. But even in the enclosed space Itachi was far too nimble for the grappling to be effective.

He cannoned a fist into the man's pierced face which knocked him against the burning ribs. The man didn't turn and Itachi simply sliced his neck with a kunai, causing the man to slump downwards.

But the man had been weakening the ribs he touched and Itachi saw only just in time the leaping figure. Pale, with six arms that looked mechanical and menacing, the next path leapt at the weakened ribs.

The blow shattered them and Itachi arm dragged the man over himself as the ribs dematerialised, it landed and pounced back at him. Then Itachi brought the technique back twofold.

The ribs appeared and muscles formed and Itachi was wreathed in red, translucent fire. The six armed man was already in mid leap and cannoned off the figure that was forming around Itachi.

Itachi wondered why the other two weren't attacking. Either they were the paths with more specialist abilities or they weren't going to be able to attack with this body. This made his task all that much easier.

The mechanical man began to barrage Itachi's barrier with missiles and Itachi smiled at how easy it was to fend off attacks this weak.

For a moment, hope grew in his heart that this might not be the final battle. He had to squash that instinct. The man was more dangerous than he was at the moment, he could not let up in his style and not give him an inch.

He began to advance.

* * *

Jiraiya tumbled out of the spiralling vortex that he had been sucked into and rolled when he hit the ground.

They were in the streets of Ame. There were a dozen people, all dressed in drab grey staring at him before they started running.

Then he ducked under a kick from the masked man and refocused.

The fight continued as it had, with neither man landing a blow on the other. It was ridiculous.

Eventually the masked man pulled back.

"I could do this all day, watch you get frustrated and wound up that this is going nowhere."

"Really?"

There was a crash from a mile away.

"Sounds to me like Itachi is going to win that fight sooner rather than later. Who do you think he'll side with? Me or you?"

There was a snarl from the man.

"It is irrelevant. I could kill you both. Or Nagato will win and then we'll be able to find uses for you. I like the idea of him using you as a puppet."

"You sick man. You twisted him to this didn't you?"

"It was so easy Toad Sage. So. Very. Easy."

Now it was Jiraiya's turn to snarl and attack. He moved in close, using a different style of taijutsu to that which he normally used.

He moved in close, using small movements to try and minimise his energy usage. Trying to grab.

Tobi lessened his movements as well until the battle was almost completely static except for rapidly moving arms and upper bodies.

Jiraiya leapt backwards to get more distance between himself and the man who made no effort to follow him.

"Ma. Pa. Can you hit him with some genjutsu?"

The female toad gave a small sigh.

"You know how much we hate the singing, but we'll do it Jiraiya boy! Give us a moment to synchronise and prepare."

The masked man tipped his head to one side.

"Really? You think I'm simply going to let that happen?"

"Stop it if you can then. It sounds like Itachi will be done sooner rather than later."

Jiraiya heard the aggravated growl and the man began to bound forwards. The toads leapt from his shoulders before disappearing suddenly.

"What?"

"Now that the distractions are out of the way why don't we continue where we left off Toad-Sage?"

Jiraiya wondered why the man simply didn't do that to him instead of just vanishing the toads. Then he felt the ripple of chakra and got out of the way before the air near to him simply began to twist in ways he couldn't quite understand. He could try to summon the toads again.

Then he realised that his opponent wasn't going to give him enough time to do that.

* * *

The mechanical man screeched like the collapse of the fallen skyscraper as the flaming sword ran through it and pierced it. It seemed to shrivel and collapse before being pulled swiftly into the jar the great skeletal man's other hand.

Itachi turned his attention to the final path, the one that Pein used to speak through. It had not attacked yet, which he found foolish at first glance.

Still, his opponent was powerful and this final body would not yield easily. It leapt as close as possible to the skeletal form with an outstretched hand.

Then Itachi found himself fighting a huge force that shoved at his spiritual warrior with a strength he had never encountered. It was pushing him back even with the great warrior outline.

The street under his sandals began to yield under the force and he dug scratches into the concrete surface. Other paving slabs outside the protective shell of Susanoo were not so lucky and slammed off the fiery man like pebbles off a wall. Buildings seemed to collapse around the man, falling away from his form.

So...gravitational control? Some kind of shockwave generation jutsu?

Either way it was powerful and could keep even Susanoo at bay. Itachi allowed his burning eyes to rest as the skeletal form began to vanish away. He found himself standing some thirty yards from his foe.

Staring eye to eye.

"Itachi. You cannot prevail against the Deva path. You cannot kill it, but it can kill you."

The voice echoed around the flattened area. No Ame shinobi were going to interfere in this fight, that much was certain. Many were probably dead just as collateral damage.

"You know that Tobi will betray you the instant this battle is over. Maybe even before the end. He has been playing you from the beginning."

"Then I will defeat him too. No price is too high to bring peace to this world. What price would you have paid for Sasuke?"

Itachi sent a blast of black fire at the man, which he summoned another force field to dispel. It was wasteful but that must be the power the man had at his disposal.

The blast was certainly smaller than the first one he had unleashed at his Susanoo. Was it a recharge time between uses? Certainly the man could only have so much chakra available to him.

He felt the trickle of blood run down his nose and drip to the ground. His vision swam a little bit more.

Then again, he only had so much more eyesight to burn. He steadied himself without realising he'd needed to. Susanoo did eat up a lot of chakra after all. It also ate up his eyesight.

He would simply have to finish this without excessive use of his Sharingan. Assuming that was the man's only technique, then all he had to do was figure out timings and avoid excessive damage.

Then to locate the real force controlling the puppet. His gaze shifted to encompass the great tower that rose in the centre of the city.

Someone with the ego of a God would dwell there for certain.

The path opposite him drew a rod of black metal out of his own arm. That was certainly a useful ability. Itachi didn't need such a weapon.

He blasted the fireball across the battlefield at the man who simply dodged it. He made eye contact before charging across the field, his target snared in a genjutsu.

The man's swing missed him by yards and he nearly landed a blow of his own before the man blasted him backwards.

He dug chakra into his feet and left more gouges in the ruined ground as he was forced backwards by the blast.

As soon as the force stopped he leapt forwards again. He danced past a thrust from the chakra rod and kicked his opponent hard in the ribs. He heard the crack of bone but the figure showed no real sign of pain.

He ducked under the next swing before being blasted backwards once again.

5 seconds between blasts. Certainly not much to work with.

It was still 2 more seconds than he needed.

He pressed his attack once again and the man met him in a flurry of blows. Itachi certainly had the better of the man. Maybe the years of having seven bodies meant that his taijutsu had dimmed in stature, or the lack of powerful foes. Despite being outmatched in strength, he was more subtle, better formed and technically superior. The required skill had shifted to favour tactics and intelligence just as his foe had gone to power tactics.

The fact his foe hadn't hit him yet was testament to that.

He was ready for the blast of force the instant his opponent let it loose. He skidded backwards and then dove forwards again.

Within one second he had closed half the distance.

Within two he was within ten yards as his foe took up a defensive stance.

Within three the black flames were eating into his foes body. Now it felt the pain. His eye bled as he applied more heat to the technique, but it was needed.

The body writhed under the flames, his attack beginning to melt the receivers ever so slightly. He retracted the fire, leaving the body charred and blackened.

He stared up to the tower and allowed himself a brief moment of calm. All that was left was the real Pein. Itachi readied himself and began to move for the tower.

* * *

Jiraiya found himself increasingly frustrated by his opponent. He couldn't strike the man and he barely seemed bothered by the fight.

"Are you actually going to fight back?"

"To be honest I just need to play with you until Itachi reaches Nagato."

Jiraiya turned to leave but fire blocked his path.

"The Uchiha flame battle encampment will keep you in here with me Jiraiya-sama. You're not going away to help your little Nagato. How does it feel Jiraiya? Knowing you can do nothing?"

Jiraiya's answer was a flurry of needles that he fired from his hair. The masked man simply phased through the attack without pausing.

"This is how it felt when I was created Jiraiya. I watched everyone I cared about betray me or die one by one. Now look at the world. It needs peace."

Jiraiya paused to look at his opponent.

"Who are you?"

"Tobi."

"What's your real name?"

"Not important."

"I passed on the teaching for peace onto Nagato you know. He wants it by application of force. One day someone will find a solution and bring it to fruition."

Tobi shook his head.

"That person is me. You want to know what I will do with the tailed beasts?"

"Yes."

"Since you're going to die here I guess I can spare some time. Itachi is still busy dealing with the Path's that remain.

Let me tell of you the Eye of the Moon plan Jiraiya-sama...let me tell you how I will bring peace to this angry world."

Jiraiya listened and his eyes grew wide with shock and horror as the details were explained. He grit his teeth as the man finished, and spread his arms wide.

"So give in Jiraiya! Let go and find peace in death."

"You will succeed over my dead body."

"As I intended. Itachi is nearly with Nagato."

Jiraiya waited for the attack was now sure to come. The man leapt towards him, a sword in his hand. Jiraiya expanded his hair once again to cover his body in a steel like shield. The needles fired from it were once more dodged by the man.

He saw the man abandon his sword and stretch out his arm before he realised that his defence wasn't going to be enough.

Then the wooden spikes burst out of the man's arm and pierced his body in at least twenty places.

Pain lanced through his body as he struggled to stand. His hair shrank back to its normal length, streaked with red.

The man raised the sword once again under Jiraiya's chin and forced him to look up.

"Ready to die Toad-sage?"

Jiraiya's only response was to try and slam a rasengan into the man. The blow didn't land as the sword moved swifter than the blow of the tired man.

* * *

Itachi reached the top of the tower and reached a pair of great oak doors. Heavily reinforced as well. He reached out a hand to gently push at one. They slid back without any real resistance.

So odd. A great portal of a door which was not locked and moved like any other. Grandiose yet efficient in its own silly way.

He opened the door enough to get through and calmly walked through. He found himself facing the man who controlled the paths. He had found Pein.

"Itachi. You commit foolishness in coming here. You have already caused so much damage and harm this day."

"Pein. You have been foolish from the beginning. You are powerless before me and yet there is still a hope for us both."

The man didn't move. Itachi realised he probably couldn't.

Arms locked in heavy manacled restraints, his back pierced by huge rods of black metal like some demented organ. The man was pale and withered, a skeleton with skin draped over it. His legs were hidden in a great machine like chair.

His hair was a pale red and fell lank over one of his eyes.

The other had that dreadful spiral of an eye. The Rinnengan.

"You cannot stand in my way Itachi, the way of peace. Even without the remainder of the Akatsuki I can create new paths and hunt down the Nine-Tails. I will recreate it once more and a new daybreak will happen. I will bring peace."

"You think Tobi will let you? That man is in this for his plan. He's used you Pein. He'll dispose of you before the end. It will be soon. How will you stop him in that state? How will you stop me?"

The entombed man just stared at Itachi with his lone visible eye.

So much like Naruto in some ways, and about to suffer a similar fate.

"You will stop him for me Itachi."

The bolt slammed out of the lower portion of his chair and Itachi simply sidestepped it. It whistled past his chest and ripped his cloak a little but didn't touch him.

He saw a pang of panic cross the skeletal man's face.

"Was that your great trick Pein? Any final words?"

"Itachi...you must not. For peace."

"Goodbye."

The black flames erupted once again from Itachi's eye and began to engulf the chair. The man grunted in pain and released his arms.

They were thin and wasted from what must have been years of underuse. They stretched to the flames and began to extinguish them. He had the full powers of his paths but he was struggling to employ them.

Itachi simply walked forwards as the flames began to engulf the parts the man couldn't reach.

Then he drew a kunai and stabbed forwards.

Weak arms tried to catch the blow but they crumpled. It was like breaking the grip of a child.

With a short thunk, the blade did its work. Itachi turned away as the last of his life drained away.

"Now then, where were we masked man?"

The man stepped out from the shadows.

"Impressive. How shall we do this Itachi? Swords only? Maybe a duel using our eyes? Fought on the plane of genjutsu and cunning?" he spread his arms wide, "Maybe even a game of shogi?"

Itachi gave a slight laugh but he felt a little tired. His fight had clearly been far more effort than the one Jiraiya had given the man. That was worrying in several ways.

He could try running, but he felt too tired to run.

No. Here he stood and won or here he died. He had done his best to thin the ranks of the Akatsuki and he had succeeded. Now only one remained.

It was a shame that one was the most dangerous one of all.

He thought of Sasuke and how things should have been. Could have been. Had it not been for Danzo, Naruto. The Akatsuki. If the world hadn't thrown itself through his clan and ripped it apart at his hands.

Life could have been so much better. He could have known peace but for cursed eyes and dark deeds he never wanted.

Still, he had to focus. There was perhaps time to make his point and stop everyone else winning.

Susanoo began to form around him and as soon as any part of it manifested it would simply vanish into a vortex.

"Please. I'm not letting you form the one thing that could possibly hurt me. I will suck your attacks away."

"Your sharingan prowess is impressive. Who are you then? Which of my clan survived to help me annihilate the rest?"

"One you all thought dead."

"That could be several people, in fact most of them."

They circled each other. The black flames still flickered on Pein's chair.

"I was betrayed, and left for dead. I was found by another who should have been dead and then saw someone I thought as a friend kill someone I cared about. Can you work it out yet?"

"No. Nor do I wish to. I only wish you to die."

More black flames vanished between him and the masked man who tutted gently.

"Really? Nothing more subtle from you?"

This time the black flames vanished mere inches from Nagato's eyes and the man growled.

Itachi raised an eyebrow. He had timed it just correct so that he was closer to the eyes.

He threw two shuriken at his new target.

"Shuriken Shadow Clone no Jutsu!"

The shuriken became two hundred. That was likely too many for the man to conveniently vanish, and too close to the target. He was rewarded by a huge number of impact noises of shuriken on flesh.

He turned to see the masked man peppered with the shuriken. Damage done, the clone shuriken disappeared from existence. The two real ones were still embedded in the man's mask, perilously close to his eyes.

White substance flowed from the cuts and slices from the shuriken. Whatever it was, it wasn't blood.

There wasn't even a cry of pain or any indication it had hurt the masked man. The Akatsuki robe was torn and ripped apart, revealing pale skin beneath.

Itachi raised an eyebrow and threw another shuriken. The man batted it away with a snarl and leapt at Itachi.

His eyes caught the chakra build-up and he ducked under the wooden spikes that emerged from the arm. He threw a kunai at Nagato's prone form as he kicked upwards, balancing on one hand as he tumbled away from more strikes.

The rewarding sound of his kick connecting with the mask was music to his ears. The man teleported again and took the kunai blow.

"Not so easy now is it?"

There was a dry laugh from the man.

"No...you always were a prodigy Itachi. One of the last things that happened before I saw the truth was you graduating from the academy aged five. Five. I had had to wait until I was twelve and you graduated at five. That was a year after me Itachi. By then you were nearly a chunin. To think I will get to be the one to kill you."

Itachi smiled. He knew now who it was.

"How did you survive?"

"Does it matter? I had my eyes opened to the truth and saw the betrayal of my friend. I saw the man I entrusted my last wish to betray everything he stood for! It was by his hand and no one else's that I set out on this path!"

The grand fireball sped across the gap before being caught by a wall of fire the other man created.

"You think the flame battle encampment will stop an Uchiha from getting to you Obito?"

The flames died before Itachi's eyes.

"Foolish. You died years ago Obito. Your eye is now Kakashi's. It's made him more famous than you could ever have been."

"That should have been me!"

Wooden spikes shot towards Itachi once more and he avoided them or burnt them with Amateretsu. Blood ran freely down his face from his eye. He couldn't try locking in Tsukotoyumi now, he was too drained.

This battle was going to be tighter than he wanted it to be.

The man withdrew the spikes with a hiss.

"Zetsu."

He had forgotten about the two-tone man. He tried to turn but felt something heavy and thick weigh him down. He struggled to get free and found he couldn't.

"The spore technique is complete Obito-sama."

"Excellent, any last words Itachi?"

A burst of black fire was again removed by the man's aggravating ocular prowess.

"I said words not futile gestures."

"Shadow clone."

The Itachi caught in the spores vanished in smoke and the white mass was reabsorbed by the man. Zetsu sensed him first.

"Behind you!"

Obito turned and leapt as the blow fell. It caught half of Nagato's dead face and destroyed one of the eyes. The blade then vanished.

Itachi heard his foes angry cry of frustration. A second more and he would have had the full victory.

But he was low now, so very low. His fighting style had always been precision and force a point. He had expended so much in his previous fights.

He coughed and saw the blood in his spit. Was it time?

He felt the blow lift him from his feet and send him to the floor with a thud.

The masked man pinned him down with a strong wooden arm Itachi knew he couldn't break the grip of.

There was only one thing left to do. Deny him any further prize.

His eyes burnt with Amateretsu once last time before they saw nothing more and his world was darkness. Despite the pain of burning his own eyes, the ache of their long suffering was gone. His head felt light. He heard another frustrated growl.

"Goodbye Itachi. Oh, I forgot to tell you. I killed Kisame when his back was turned. It was so easy. He didn't even have time to beg. Beg for me Itachi. Beg for life and a chance to do the right thing. Beg before I extinguish your life."

He had failed, but he felt strangely alright with it. Yes, Naruto lived. Yes, Obito would now enact his plans without as much opposition.

Maybe Naruto would find a way to die facing this man, but it didn't matter to him now. He had done more than enough damage to Akatsuki to avert the worst that could have happened.

He allowed himself one final little victory.

"You always were a fool, and you always will be little Obi-"

The sword descended and Itachi welcomed death like a friend. Perhaps here he could apologise to Sasuke and his clan.


	58. Consideration

His back slammed bolt upright as cold sweat covered his body. He had been dreaming again. It wasn't as bad as it could be but it still scared him a little when it happened.

In the half awake haze he couldn't remember what it had been about. His soft panting drowned out his thoughts as his heart pounded a little in his chest, gently calming down as his mind got his body to concentrate.

Naruto felt his throat burn a little from dryness and rotated away from the warmth and comfort that the covers provided him.

He really did enjoy having a more regular schedule in some ways, and yet. Yet he knew it couldn't last.

He'd known ever since his proclamation to Tsunade about Root.

Some half memory of the dream slipped back into his head as he turned the tap and placed a bowl under the cold stream of water.

There had been people...then they had faded and then...

The thump of fist on door shook him from his reverie. He drank deeply from the bowl, moved silently to grab the tanto blade from its resting place, silently drew the blade and flicked the door catches open.

The door squealed open slowly. His grip tightened a little more. He could see who it was and he relaxed, dropping out of the shadows of the ceiling.

It was Anko. That was surprising.

"Anko-chan?"

"Darkie-kun! We need to talk!"

She stepped inside and shut the door behind her. Naruto forced himself into a more focused state of awareness. He wondered if it was normal he could fight, plan and ambush whilst half asleep but a conversation required more thought.

"What do we need to talk about?"

"Everything! Girls! The weather! You wanting to disappear for fucking ever to join some sort of ultra black ops ANBU or whatever crap that is!"

Ah. Tsunade had been talking to people. He should have expected this.

"Which do you want to start with?"

He caught a light, stinging blow across the face followed up by a strong hug which he tried to return with one arm pinned to his side.

"Which do you think you adorable blond idiot? About you joining this thing."

"Tsunade told you didn't she?"

"Yes. She didn't elaborate too much on what you were doing but only that it would make you even scarcer. You're pretty ghostly to begin with so I think I just wouldn't see you again."

"Oh."

She sat down on his sofa and dragged him down next to him, ruffling his short hair with one hand.

"I've missed seeing you as much. You are like a little brother to me, and you have the potential to be the best in so many ways. You poisoned Sasuke in Orochimaru's base. That was ridiculous!"

"It needed to be done."

She sighed and hugged him close.

"You don't even want to brag or take the plaudits you deserve. I really want more time knowing you because you change people."

"I don't understand. Most people I change by shooting them."

Anko sighed again.

"Look, when we came back from that mission where Itachi did me in. Remember when we were all sitting there licking our wounds and nobody wanted to talk. Then what did you do?"

"I talked with Shino and laughed at the irony of his words."

"Exactly, you lifted everyone with just being you."

He shook his head.

"No, Shino was the one who started that conversation. He was the one to lift us all."

Anko gave him a squeeze in the dark room.

"You know the reputation the Aburame clan has? To get one to approach and engage in conversation willingly?"

"I am aware they are not outwardly going but Shino is a friend."

"To describe an Aburame as a friend and to have it reciprocated by one is rare. Few manage it. That's not the only life you've changed."

He considered.

"I damaged lives when I got sent after Sasuke. I could have done better for several others but I didn't and failed. I ended up hurting sensei and students of my own age. Shikamaru, Sakura, Hinata, Baka. All never the same."

"You do not need to suffer any guilt over those changes. We are shinobi; we accept the consequences of our work. You did well. As for Hinata...well you did not do her any lasting harm."

"I did."

She gave him another tight squeeze.

"Then you repaired it. I've read the reports and I've heard enough whispers to know that she is better as a person than before. You make people better even if you don't mean to. You made me a better person."

"How?"

"You made me care about people again. With my curse gone I can care about people again. I want to care again. Also the orphanages are much better funded. That's probably a hundred or more lives a year you've helped."

"I am glad for you."

She turned to look at him in the very dim light.

"I don't want you to be glad for me I want you to be glad with me. I want to see you grow up and find a lovely girl and have a great life because you're like a little brother to me."

She ruffled his short hair.

"If you grew that out it would look awesome by the way."

Naruto thought for a moment about a life he could have.

He saw himself walking down the street and talking to more people, with longer hair. He saw himself eating ramen with Shikamaru and Shino, training with Kiba and Hinata and maybe Tenten. Having times like these with Anko and Talon and...

It felt like something that wouldn't work somehow. Something about the vision felt false and stilted, and alien.

"I...don't know if that would work."

"It can! You could make it work. If you found the right girl to support and care for you more. Ever thought of love?"

"Love?"

"Love."

He hadn't. Love was a concept he didn't understand or had really contemplated.

"What is love?"

Anko shook her head.

"I'd say look it up in a dictionary but that wouldn't do it. It's a feeling of attachment that goes beyond understanding. I guess it's illogical to you, but when you really love something you give your life for it regardless of what happens."

He considered. There wasn't a person as such he was willing to do that for.

There were things certainly. He had done it for Team 8. He had done it for Konoha on countless occasions. That was dry duty though. Not an emotional decision.

"I don't know it."

She gave him a friendly cuddle. She was warm, which wasn't a bad thing. It was certainly more comfortable than he anticipated it being.

"You will, or you already do and don't know about it. Speaking of Hinata...what is happening there?"

"I am leader of her team, and we recently finished a mission to unlock my sealed memories."

Although they were close to each other, her arms holding him close enough that she couldn't make eye contact; he could feel her gaze on him.

"You are definitely more than that."

"She is possibly my closest friend as well."

"Friend or _friend?_"

He knew that tone of voice. Talon had used it before to imply something similar.

"I am not engaged in sexual relations with her."

Anko laughed a little.

"Nonono, I didn't expect that just yet. I meant that you two are closer than just friends from what I've heard. Tsunade told me about what happened when your seal broke. Something, by the way, you didn't tell me about properly! What the hell Darkie-kun?"

She felt his face burn a little. It was true he should have gone to Anko but the whole situation with the seal was a list of things he had to learn from.

"I...did not act optimally with regard to that situation. I have learned since."

"We'll see. But I was told what happened. She stayed by you all night and would not leave your side."

"That was part of her mission."

The feeling on his face intensified a little and he realised it was embarrassment. How much would he give for Hinata again?

"Really? Once you'd finished the report and crashed she could have gone to sleep. Or gone to Shizune or Tsunade to talk through what just happened. She refused to leave your side, defied the Hokage to her face and as good as dammit locked herself in with you. Was that part of the mission?"

"That...was the care of a friend."

"No. A friend makes sure you're ok the next morning after resting. A friend does not go in and stay there all night denying everyone else access."

"She denied everyone else access?"

"Yep."

He felt his face burn a little bit more. He was glad of the darkness.

"I did not know that. That seemed excessive."

"Have you talked to her since?"

"Only as part of our teams training."

She sighed. Of course. A professional.

"Would you consider spending more time with her outside of training and missions a bad thing?"

He considered it.

"No, but the same could be applied to a lot of people, yourself included Anko-chan."

She ruffled his head again.

"Mm, soft hair. I may steal your shampoo just to see what you use. But compared to everyone else, who would you want to spend time with?"

He considered. Shino would be good conversation, Anko was close to him. Hinata...

His vision from earlier shifted and refocused in his mind. There he was walking down the street with Hinata. Seeing her face happy and smiling and...

It was a pleasant vision. Very pleasant. A pair of fingers snapped in front of his face.

"Thinking about that future eh? Which part of it? Nothing you can't tell the lovely and understanding Anko-chan."

"I... was walking with her and she was smiling."

She let out a sigh.

"Oh you romantic. You're a romantic at heart! That is...just fantastically ridiculous. You're a romantic and you don't even know it or have anyone to be romantic towards. Most guys would be thinking about the sex."

That hadn't crossed his mind. It instead found a vast gulf of knowledge he only knew the theory of which couldn't really be applied without practical application to really understand it. He remembered Talon's warning about asking Anko about it. He decided to use caution."

"I'm not most guys."

She laughed again.

"I'm sure you'll understand soon enough Darkie-kun. Just consider asking if Hinata wants to get some food with you or something similar."

"I think you have the wrong idea Anko-chan."

Well he mostly did at least. She had planted a seed of doubt in his head.

"Of course. But with all that in mind, do you really want to give up that future to join this ANBU thing? I mean yes, you could leave it after a few years or something if you don't die but you'd miss out on those chances. How would you feel if someone else made Hinata smile like that?"

He considered it. 99.9% of him felt that was a good thing. Hinata was happy. There was that tiny little part of him, that emotive spark that raised a hand against it. Out of interest, he followed its thought line down a bit further and found it illogical and annoying.

Yet despite that he couldn't dismiss it entirely.

"It is mostly a good thing."

"Mostly?"

"A part of me objects to the idea."

"See? That's what I'm talking about. You need to be there, you want to be there. This ANBU thing would get in the way of a better, brighter future for you! You could go on missions, write the reports up and make more money than any normal ninja. Hell, you could retire and write books for a living if it wouldn't bore you to death."

"Write books?"

"Your own stories, fictional ones. About whatever you wanted it to be. A story that would bring the unbelievable to life like your reports do sometimes. Stories that leave people fulfilled and joyous and inspired. Maybe some that would show people new ways of doing things and ideas they find amazing."

He considered the possibility. Certainly not risking his life would be a plus, but she was right. He wouldn't be able to stay patient that long. Even he had his limits.

"It would be too boring. I am good at waiting but not that good."

He yawned widely. Sleep did seem tempting right now but Anko was there.

"Did I wake you when I came in?"

"No, I was up getting water after I woke from a bad dream."

"Bad dream?"

"The memories the seal unlocked were...unpleasant. I suspect they won't make the story as part of an extra chapter."

Anko rubbed the back of her head.

"Not exactly...it got released as part of a gold edition. Of which Tsunade used a modified signature of yours to sign the copy the Daimyo got in advance."

Naruto had wondered why another book had appeared without him writing another report. The Daimyo read it?

He found comprehending this turn of events a confusing thing to do and chalked it to the growing list of things people did he didn't understand.

"Was it that bad though? The abyss you described. I mean, you don't fear the darkness. We're in it right now and you wear it like your cloak. What was so bad about that darkness?"

He remembered and shivered. She felt it and hugged him closer to herself. Her warmth met the cold he felt from the memories and melted it away. He was safe here. There was nothing to hurt him and he was alive.

"It wasn't darkness. Look at the darkness we're in now. It has shades of black and grey and green and blue that merges and mingles and dances. It's something I like to look at sometimes."

He paused as Anko held a finger to his lips and waited for a good minute or two.

"I...see what you mean. It's not black it's many shades of grey and other colours."

"Ok. The place I saw was not dark. It was not black it was without colour or shades of change. It was nothingness."

"That doesn't seem so bad."

"Try experiencing it. It is like everything you are tries to spread out to fill the nothingness but there's too much of it and you feel that at any moment there won't be a you left and there will still be nothingness."

She squeezed him closer.

"How are you coping with it?"

"By knowing I am alive every second. Every sense tells me I live."

He hugged back and a comfortable silence fell. It was warm and soft and nice to be near. The silence filled him. It was its own noise and pressure and being.

It was pleasant.

He found himself slipping off and Anko gently rubbed his head. He drooped his head onto her shoulder and she held him gently.

"Sweet dreams Darkie-kun."

She gently whispered to him just before his mind shut down enough to sleep.

Warm, comfortable sleep.

* * *

_A/N: This seems like a good time to chuck down an author's note. Thanks to all your reviewing people, followers and favouriters! Keep doing what you're doing and I'll keep doing this. Hope you all continue to enjoy all this story and how it winds towards its conclusion!_


	59. The Brink

A few days later he had another visitor in the night.

This one he sensed the instant they gently eased his window open. Suddenly awake, Naruto once more activated his Byakugan and smiled.

Another round with Talon then. No Hare or Pig in sight. That was odd. Must be another personal visit.

He felt his body ache to get back to bed and decided to simply try a different approach. He heard the footsteps lightly fall on the floor.

"I know it's you Talon."

There was silence. He walked noisily forwards and ducked under the blow Talon tried to give him before grabbing the arm. The man was stronger than he was but wasn't trying to put any power into his arm.

"What brings you here?"

Talon gave a chuckle and shook his head.

"Well this is boring from you. Where are the traps? The combat thrill?"

"I was sleeping. It's the middle of the night. I do sleep you know."

"Amazed to hear it. So Tsunade told me about your wish to join ANBU black ops directly instead of going through the standard ANBU channels and working your way in the regular way. Let's see if you have what it takes in your first official training exercise. You have thirty seconds to grab your kit."

"If I decline?"

"I have permission to force you to. Twenty five seconds."

It took him barely fifteen before he was fully ready and standing before Talon.

"Good. Let's start with a little exercise shall we? A light jog to get your limbs warmed up for something more serious."

Then the running started and kept going.

He knew he wasn't built for this and that it wasn't currently his style, but apparently this was an early morning run for the members of the Black Ops.

He struggled to even keep pace with Talon, his shorter stride not helping his cause one bit.

His lungs burnt, his legs ached and urged to stop but he urged them to keep within touching distance of the man.

Why was he doing this anyway? Root didn't undergo this level of stupid exercise, even if they were drilled to within an edge of their lives.

He stopped running and Talon disappeared from view. He caught his breath and sat on a tree branch. A minute later, the man reappeared, panting and sweating.

"You can't keep that pace?"

"Yes. You know that. Why are you testing me like this?"

The first rays of sunshine began to break over Konoha's forests as Talon sat next to him. He began to smell the sweat on his body but didn't care, he could get rid of it later if he wanted to.

"Because you want to join Black Ops Naruto. Admittedly you kept up for half the course which is better than some of the ANBU could right now."

"That was only half? We were sprinting for at least half an hour."

"Technically it doesn't have a set length, but when you just stop is halfway. It's a way of forcing people onwards."

That made an odd kind of sense now. You gave people an unknown target and decided to see how well they did.

"Physical running is but one aspect of the Black Ops way though. I nearly became one before I chose the more relaxed path of merely captain of the ANBU. The Black Ops themselves are pretty secretive."

"Wisely so."

Talon patted him on the shoulder.

"Also because they forget what it's like to really be human. No social contact, not even between each other. Strict secrecy. A life totally in the dark. Nobody leaves it alive or sane. Do you really want that Naruto?"

He considered. He did not want that. Yet it was not quite that simple.

"What of duty to Konoha? Were you called because there was no-one else who could?"

"I wouldn't do it. ANBU can still fear Naruto. Everyone fears something and I fear that. Without a team I could joke with, feel some kinship with and be alive with...I wouldn't want to live."

That sounded bleak.

He considered again. Could he give up everything and everyone so easily? The answer was something of a shock. It was a no.

He checked again and got another no.

"It sounds like I don't want to become a part of the Black Ops unit then."

Talon slapped him hard on the back.

"Good choice. Now...regular ANBU forces and you are more than ready to take it up. Hell, you could succeed me as captain in a few years when I decide to take a more leisurely life and train some genin like Dog. Maybe settle down and find a nice young lady like Anko. So what do you want to do now?"

Naruto couldn't stop the yawn from occurring. Months of a vaguely regular sleep pattern had made him a little less used to waking at all hours and not sleeping for days on end.

"Sleep or a bit of training?"

Well he was awake now. He would have to train with team 8 later as well. A bit of extra practise wouldn't hurt him that much.

"Training."

He imagined Talon was grinning broadly beneath the mask.

"Excellent news."

Naruto was still thinking through. Yes, ANBU Black Ops wouldn't work for him. Nor would being back at the heart of Root as an operative. But leading Root forces? Was that compatible with that future?

He couldn't help but feel that was a yes, even if he hadn't worked out all the details yet.

* * *

Training with team 8 had finished for the day and Naruto was going through a series of stretches to relax tensed muscles.

It wasn't the most vigorous training that he had ever undergone but it was good for him. That and he got to spend more time with friends.

Shino and Kiba made their goodbyes relatively quickly, leaving just Naruto and Hinata.

He remembered what Anko had said to him when she had come round those few nights ago. It couldn't hurt to take the advice of a friend could it?

"Hinata-san?"

She stopped stretching herself down and he saw her relax a little and smile.

"Yes Naruto-kun?"

He knew the meaning of the various suffixes well enough, but was always confused by the chan and kun. Was it a sign of a deeper friendship or something that meant more? Such a small syllable yet such a deep one.

"Would you like to," he struggled for the correct wording, "obtain and eat lunch at the same place and time as me?"

He felt almost glad of the hood he wore because something about asking felt...embarrassing? That was odd. He was merely asking a teammate to lunch.

Hinata laughed lightly. He liked that sound more than he wanted to admit.

"I would like that. Would you like to get ramen?"

"I would indeed."

They walked through the streets together. It wasn't quite the vision he had had but...he wasn't going to take her hand. Why would he even want to? It was illogical but made sense and...

It could wait till later. They had reached their destination.

Ayame looked up as she saw Naruto approach and put on her best smile. Then she saw Hinata.

The smile dropped just a little as she saw them talking. Well there were ways she could find out more about the situation. She hadn't entirely judged the girl just yet, although her reputation as a kind hearted person went before her.

She dashed into the kitchen and attempted to do something, anything, with her hair before emerging again as Naruto took his seat next to Hinata.

"Naruto-kun!"

She gave him a hug across the counter which he didn't respond to in the slightest. Whilst she held his head still she gave Hinata her best 'mine' stare. The girl looked stunned. Good. Very good.

She could work on this. She wondered briefly whether this would count as overly cruel to the Hyuuga girl. It probably was, but all was fair in love and war. This little battle was about both.

"How have you been? What would you like?"

Naruto felt very confused. Why was she completely ignoring Hinata?

"I am well Ayame-san. Have you met Hinata-san? She is my teammate and someone I would call a friend."

Hinata looked slightly away, her cheeks a little pinker. Or was that his imagination. He saw the smile falter slightly on Ayame's face. Before it rebrightened.

"Nice to meet you Hinata-_san._"

Her eyes said entirely different as they bored into Hinata's. Hinata knew what she was doing and felt annoyed. Too late to leave now then. She was good at enduring things like this.

"I would like a miso-ramen please."

"Sure, what would you like Naruto-kun?"

"I would like a seafood ramen."

The girl nodded enthusiastically and went for the kitchen at speed.

Naruto turned to Hinata.

"Is something not right about Ayame-san's behaviour Hinata?"

Hinata considered whether she would have time to tell him the truth about the situation. To be fair, she couldn't tell him the whole truth right here. Nor would he fully understand all the minutiae of the emotional responses.

"Well yes, but I wouldn't worry about it. How have your dreams been?"

He considered the question and knew exactly how they had been.

"They are a replay of the memory half the time. It causes me to wake myself. My sleep has been sufficient but less satisfactory."

She nodded.

"If you want to talk about it, I'm always here for you to talk to."

Then she turned and saw that Ayame had chosen that moment to walk out through the kitchen doors with a colossal seafood ramen in her hands.

Hinata sighed internally as she realised exactly how the girl behind the ramen stand was going to play this. She didn't want to get involved in it at all but felt protective of her Naruto. Wait her?

"Here you go Naru-kun. I hope you really love it."

Hinata saw how she had bent to put the bowl down and sighed again. Really? That obvious?

"Thank you Ayame-san. I will wait until Hinata's ramen has arrived before beginning, it would only be polite to do so."

That shocked both girls. Ayame was forced to recover first, a fact Hinata found amusing.

"Such a gentleman as well, her order will be arriving shortly."

She turned, giving Hinata another withering glare in the process.

"Where did you learn about politeness Naruto-kun?"

"I observed that in the Aburame household they only eat when everyone has been served their meal. It seemed illogical at the time, and Shino explained it to me. Being polite is a good thing from what I can gather."

Hinata couldn't help but be a little bewildered at the situation. Not only was Naruto utterly oblivious to her advances, but...

Then Ayame returned with one of the smaller bowls of ramen that she had ever seen. The girl had a smirk on her face directed only for Hinata.

Yep. That was expected as well. Disappointing and annoying but expected. Why was she deciding to do this now?

She was glad when more customers arrived to order food. That at least kept her away from Naruto for a couple of minutes.

They began to eat. She smiled at how he was eating it so quickly yet without any mess. Then again, eating was simply the act of getting food into his belly for him. She ate as well, noticing just how small her portion was in comparison.

Then she realised Naruto had noted it as well.

Then he offered her some of his just as Ayame finished dealing with the other customers.

She blushed and accepted. The blush was unnecessary but it felt good to sneak a glance back at the girl who was trying to ruin her time with Naruto.

Ayame stared in defeat as Naruto shared a part of his portion with Hinata. How had she lost him so completely? She slunk to the back quietly.

"Dad, can you man the front for a bit?"

Teuchi looked up; the swift chops from his cleaver continuing even though he wasn't looking. He didn't need to look.

"What's wrong dear? Isn't Naruto out there?"

He saw the tears and quickly looked outside to see Naruto and Hinata talking. He'd seen people talking like that before and knew the signs. He gave his daughter a consoling arm around the shoulder.

"There are other boys out there Ayame...don't hate her for it."

She nodded through the tears that were gently forming as she took the cleaver from her father and began to chop.

Teuchi emerged to man the front of the stand. He saw Naruto and Hinata both with finished bowls and he felt the good buzz you get when you are about to get paid.

"Good meal Naruto?"

"Indeed. Thank you for your service."

He laughed.

"Thank you for your custom. I hope you and Hinata-san have a lovely day."

He took the money. Naruto gave Hinata a quick word and was off to do some more training or something similar.

"Oh, Hinata-san, a word?"

She turned and walked back to the stand uncertainly. Teuchi leant in and whispered so nobody else could hear.

"Sorry about Ayame and keep hold of that boy."

She blushed very deeply and struggled to remain upright for a moment.

The older man laughed as she wandered off slightly dizzy. They were very adorable together, although he wasn't entirely sure that Naruto knew it yet.

* * *

**Kiri**

The Mizukage checked her face in the mirror her office contained. It was good enough for the moment. Soon she would find a husband. Soon.

Certainly things were definitely quieter than they had been for some time. There were the usual, small levels of banditry but...something was odd.

She had forced Yagura out and slain him, restoring peace to the Water country and they had rebuilt from years of war and abuse, now they were once more a major power in the world.

Yet she felt it in the air. War was coming. Everyone was prepared, ANBU from the four remaining nations were always scouting. Daimyo's were meeting and planning alliances.

Her eyes turned to the note on the desk from another Kage.

Things were going to go wild sooner rather than later. She'd rather not be the one to fire the first shot.

* * *

**Kumo**

A finished pressing the metal girder before tossing it aside.

Sweat gleamed from muscles as he grabbed a towel to get the worst of it mopped up. He felt the need to keep working out and in preparation. He knew the lists of his forces from the days of pouring over them and strategising with his best.

He knew war would come sooner or later, and it felt like it would be sooner. From what he knew of the Akatsuki and the tailed beasts they were nearly done.

B was dead. Remembering that little fact caused him to flick a bench into a wall where it splintered apart. Yet Akatsuki were not an organisation a nation could go to war against. He could hunt and he could search but not declare war on with an army.

Someone was going to pay for it. He would summon the Kage but with only four...it was never going to be the same. It would never come to a decision.

Either Suna had to rise again or there was going to be a war sooner or later to make it only three great nations.

He wouldn't want to be the man to start it though. He didn't want to be the one to spill so much blood.

* * *

**Iwa**

He looked out of the great window of the Kage office over the rolling hills of the Earth country.

It had been relatively peaceful for his lands these last years. He had rebuilt his forces; he had maintained a decent peace.

Still he knew in his heart that the peace wouldn't last. With five nations nobody could wage effective war as there was no balanced position of warfare. With four things were more unstable. If anyone declared war there wouldn't be much left.

He, Oonoki the fence sitter would not start that war. He would wait for another hot-headed young Kage to start the war and simply play his hand carefully.

Then he felt the ripple of chakra spread through his office and prepared himself. Who was it that thought they could simply attack the Tsuchikage?

He prepared the hand signs necessary to crush the intruder. Were they ANBU? Black Ops maybe? Konoha? Kumo? Upstarts in Kiri hoping to use Konoha as a shield?

He saw the masked man and felt a little confused.

"Akatsuki? Why are you here?"

"I am impressed you remember us. We did take care of quite a few problems for you after all."

"You took our Jinchuriki from us."

"You asked us to. Begged us in fact. What was the reason again...oh yes. They wouldn't listen to you and go to war if requested. They ran away from you and you didn't like that."

He cracked his knuckles at the masked man who just lounged against a wall.

"You know nothing of us."

"I controlled the Mizukage for years; I know more than you hope Fence Sitter."

The old Kage snorted his defiance.

"Then you die."

The polygon of light enveloped the man in a cube of light before it brightened. There would be nothing but dust left of the man. Part of the floor was gone as well but it was a small price to pay.

Then the dust settled and the man was still standing there.

"Come now Oonoki, there is no need to throw that kind of jutsu around in here."

The old man gritted his teeth and made the mistake of looking into the eyes.

"Rinnengan?"

There was a dark chuckle from under the mask.

"You're about to find out."

He didn't have time to call for his guards before the world swirled before his eyes and he found himself dumped unceremoniously into a world that wasn't his own.

"Come out and face me you bastard!"

Then he was struck in the back. He saw the point of the blade poke out from his ribcage. Red with blood. He realised it was his.

"I am going to have a lot of fun with you."


	60. The Choice

_A/N - I'm putting this at the start of the chapter as I think putting it at the end leads people to review the note as opposed to the chapter. _

_Just a bit of housekeeping, the fic will now be updated every other day so that it is all published and finished by Christmas day. Other than that I'll be putting another sort of bloggy-explaining-post-thing on my profile because I think this chapter will prove divisive. _

_Also just a reminder that just because something isn't happening now doesn't mean it won't ever happen. That said, enjoy this chapter!_

* * *

Tsunade smiled as she saw Naruto land in through the window. He had grown somehow since she had last seen him; perhaps his formerly malnourished body had finally begun to grow now that it ate more and more healthily. His eye showed less signs of visible tiredness.

All in all, he was different to how he had been before, and she liked that change.

Still, this was still a serious time.

"Hokage-sama."

"Naruto, good of you to come."

"You summoned me."

She laughed.

"Figure of speech, if you hadn't there would have been retribution. We need to talk about you and Root. Aside from the fact that I shouldn't give command of an unknown number of elite shinobi, I want you to reject the decision yourself. Did Anko and Talon talk to you?"

"They did. I listened to their words and considered everything."

She nodded along with him. It was good that he had accepted the advice of the two older shinobi.

"What have you decided?"

She heard him sigh for the first time. It was a deep sigh, a long and considered sigh as if he was fighting something within himself.

"I looked at my life and all the good things within it. My friends, a word I could not have used four years ago. I have friends now. I have learned much in the open, I understand emotion and the emotional responses of people now more than ever. I have confronted death itself, and the dreams of it fade with every week. I am stronger; I can work with a team. I have those like Anko-chan and Talon-taicho to guide me here. I have the friendship of the Aburame. Ramen is now something I know of and enjoy. Enjoy."

He let the word hang. Tsunade smiled. He had come far.

"And yet I am still not of this place. I am not of the light no matter how hard I try. I was born to work in the shadows, in the darkness behind the light. Mine is not the place of recognition."

Tsunade tried to stay controlled. His words were moving her because he was just like the others in so many ways.

"Despite everything here for me, I do not belong. I know it every time I am out there and I know the separation will hurt."

"Don't do it. You can't be willing or ready to give it all up...you can't?"

"I am."

The words echoed a little. Tsunade nodded.

"I...understand Naruto. I will not allow you yet. I have one final thing I need to do before even remotely allowing you to do so."

"Understood."

He moved to leave but turned at the window.

"I do not believe I have to give up everything to do this Hokage-sama. I will need to be visible or invisible as an advisor to you, and my removal from the shinobi program would need to be structured so as to avoid suspicion. Yet I do not have to disappear completely."

"Go."

He obeyed.

Tsunade waited a few seconds before calling Shizune in. The fading evening light cast deep shadows through the room once again as Shizune entered.

"Bring Hinata. Now."

Shizune looked at her mentor and saw a tinge of desperation. She had seen it once before, but never so cold and so sober.

"Hai Tsunade-sama."

She hurried out, breaking into the well versed step she needed when things were urgent. If Hinata was needed it meant something was wrong with Naruto, that much was certain.

* * *

The team on Konoha's border were the first to spot the impending threat.

Thirty figures in the muddy uniform of Earth country, moving fast towards the border, weapons drawn. This wasn't a fleeing platoon this was the first movement of an army. The few moments of confusion were enough for the grim reality of the situation to sink in.

There were four Konoha shinobi by the border, and their enemies heavily outnumbered them. Still, the early spotting gave them the advantage.

Traps were set and weapons were prepared. They waited until half the group had passed them.

The string of explosive tags took out five of the enemy before they knew what had happened. A further three fell as the Konoha team burst out of cover to take advantage of the dazed and confused Iwa shinobi.

A further two fell as the Iwa squad regained order. That was ten kills from the Konoha shinobi.

Then it became a brutally one sided melee. The earth became a bog beneath the Konoha team's feet, and two of them were cut down before they could free themselves. The final two members split up and ran for home.

One was cornered and fought in the tree tops as best he could before he fell.

The other escaped his captors to make it within sight of Konoha. His message wasn't entirely needed.

The glow of burning forest from the border was as clear a sign as any that the war had begun. It rested on the horizon as a dirty red smear of fire and black smoke haze that covered an entire side of the horizon like a gathering storm.

The smoke split the sky into light and dark.

Konoha's border burnt as the war began.

And within Iwa, the masked man smiled widely. And waited.

* * *

There was another knock at his door. He could see it was Hinata. Was this another of the Hokage's persuasion attempts?

He drew his cloak around him as he felt the night chill bite at him a little. He should close the window but the availability of a swift escape was certainly welcome and comforting. A little part of him still felt he was in the vents, where escape was always necessary.

He opened the door to see Hinata standing there, looking a little cold. She wasn't looking straight at him.

"N...Naruto-kun, can I come in?"

"Of course."

As she walked past him, he caught sight of the red glow on the horizon and knew it wasn't the sun. It wasn't a good sign for certain. It wasn't his concern right now though.

He turned back into his apartment and into a very sudden hug from Hinata. He welcomed it, taking in the warmth of another human body and the smell that was different. She was still shivering in the cold.

"Are you cold?"

"Yes."

He dragged a blanket from his room and brought it out for her. They sat together on the sofa and she drew close to him.

There was a silence that filled the apartment as he waited for her to speak. It was odd. She had wrapped an arm around him like Anko had done but it felt different. He experimentally gripped her a little tighter and felt her relax a little.

When she did speak, it was a quiet whisper. She wasn't looking at him directly.

"Lady Tsunade said you were going to leave our team...I...I don't want you to do that."

She squirmed her way a little closer to him, resting her head just under his chin. He felt comfortable but he had to reason with her.

"I...there are things that are important to me Hinata. I have enjoyed working with your team, but there are more important things that are happening than our team and I need to attend to them."

"More important?"

He heard her voice crack a little and she looked up into his eyes. He could see the flecks of tears forming in her wide pupilless eyes. He realised there was nobody to help him and that he was going to have to try and deal with this. He'd done it before but he felt different inside about this entire situation.

He had to be logical but a part of him wanted to just hold her closer and closer and not let go. He had to choose between the two now. There was no time and there was. No. There was time. There could be another way. He had been trained to think his way around every possible situation and this was no different.

"It is hard to explain."

"Explain it...please Naruto-kun?"

He felt the first tear fall onto his chest and felt compelled to begin trying to explain. Even though the impact was virtually nothing he felt its weight keenly.

"I...I don't think I'm allowed to tell you the whole truth about it. Basically there is..."

She placed a finger softly on his lips to stop him talking and looked him dead in the eye.

"No half truth...just...tell me. You can trust me."

He realised he could and nodded. She removed the finger and he found himself missing the soft touch from it, but welcoming her arms once more being around him.

The future with him and Hinata walking together swam treacherously back into view. It would be so easy to just forget everything and deny it, go to Tsunade and tell her that she had won and live that life but...no. It was not his part. He couldn't.

She squeezed him a little and he realised he had been shaking. She pulled the blanket over him anyway thinking he was cold.

"My parents died on the night of my birth."

He felt the squeeze.

"You've read my files and so you probably know all of this anyway."

"I still want to hear it from you."

She shifted so she was close to lying on him. He leant back to make it more comfortable for them both. It was so warm with her and yet he had to keep going.

"I wasn't wanted at the orphanages. I don't remember much of it, I was very young. When I was four the Hokage took me out of the orphanage and entrusted me to someone else to take care of me."

He felt her nod against his chest. He felt the need to run a hand through her hair and held back the urge.

"I was trained as part of a secret organisation that worked to bring Konoha to be the strongest of all the nations. You've seen the results of my training first hand almost more than anyone. I undertook several missions and killed several people. Every mission made Konoha stronger even if it was brutal and harsh. It was hard and painful but it made me who I am. When the time came I was brought back into the light to serve with the regular forces. My second mission I was detected for the first time by people who didn't know I was following them. Your team was good even back then."

She nodded again, rubbing her head against his chest a little. Her hand was rubbing his side in small, idle movements and he realised how good it felt. She didn't seem to notice she was doing it though. He decided not to stop it.

"But since I left the organisation, the person leading it has changed how it works and what it does. Right now, it is harming Konoha. I am the only person who can possibly change that without leading to hundreds of death's Hinata. I am the only one who can and it is a choice I have to make."

She held him tightly and he felt more tears on his chest.

"I can prevent the deaths of hundreds of people, do what I was trained to do and take over that organisation. It would be at the cost of the majority of my life, and constantly living two lives. One in the darkness which nobody can ever know of because it would doom Konoha from those who see the organisation as barbaric and dark. One I would spend in the light as an advisor to the Hokage. It would mean that I would not be able to be the same as I am now. I would have to leave everything behind."

She looked him in the eye; a few strands of hair falling across her face, a tear ran freely down her face.

"You intend to choose that option?"

"What choice do I have? My life or the potential deaths of hundreds, perhaps even of all of Konoha?"

She placed her head on his shoulder and let her tears fall there. She wrapped her arms around him and he held her close as well. The contact and the conversation were everything.

"I have to give it up. I have to give you up because it is what I must do."

He realised what he had said. She had gone very still in his arms for a moment. He realised the implications of what he'd said. Was this a glimpse at that ridiculous concept of love? Why did he want to give up every piece of logic just to not leave?

"I don't want to give you up either Naruto-kun."

Her face was barely an inch from his own and he didn't know what he was doing. He could smell her breath and see every line and part of her face.

He wanted to reach up and caress the face, brushing the strands of hair out of her face. His hand wavered. He couldn't tell in the darkness but he was sure she was blushing fiercely.

The world hung like that for what seemed like minutes even though it had likely only been seconds.

Then situation was taken out of his hands as Hinata closed the gap and suddenly his lips were touching hers.

The sensation seemed to last for minutes even though he knew it had only been a few seconds before he pulled back and she buried her face into his chest.

He had no words to describe what had just happened to him.

They stayed there and just held her because it seemed to be right.

"You know I can't live this life Hinata-chan."

She grew closer as he said the suffix.

"I know, but I had to know. Maybe there's a chance for us in the future."

He thought it over. It was probably possible. He would have to think it over.

"Maybe, but it can't be for now. I'm sorry. It is the choice I must make."

He felt tears soak into him again and held her until she spoke again.

"I...have something to show you."

She started to rise and he stood up with her. She held him close as they stood.

Then she took his hand in hers and they started to walk through the night. The streets were quiet as they walked, Hinata hold him close to her. Naruto's mind swam as he felt like he walked along two places at once.

In one, he was with her, the sun shone brightly. People around were happy and laughing, Kiba and Shino giving him a nod as they passed. He imagined Tsunade smiling in her office and looking over them. He imagined possibly going on a mission with Anko or Talon and returning home to Hinata and holding her close.

There would always be danger for these people but they faced it willingly. The civilians though could not face it themselves.

He saw the fires start as the Root rose up and war rose with it. He blinked,

Then there was the other reality. He walked alone, in the darkness. People were there but paid him no heed. But they were safe. There were no fires of war. Hinata was there, so were Kiba and Shino but they were far away, in black and white. Faded. Like the stone of a tomb.

He shivered and she wrapped an arm around his waist to keep him close.

He realised where they were walking.

Streets gave way to grass underfoot as they walked towards the memorial grounds. There stood the obelisk of names, the memorial of the fallen for Konoha.

She knelt in front of it and so did he.

"Close your eye Naruto-kun."

He did so. He was tempted to use his Byakugan to look at what was happening but felt that he could trust her.

His hand felt the softness of her wrap around them once again and move it towards the rock.

Together, they traced the cold surface of the stone until they came to rest. He ran his fingers over the name.

"Open your eye Naruto-kun."

He opened it. It was already adjusted to the dark of the night anyway and by the flickering torchlight around the monument, he saw the name and understood.

That name. For months he had searched for it and now he finally had peace.

It was there, nondescript like the other hundreds of names on the rock. The man who carved them in probably thought nothing more of the work. A few chisels here and there and then it was done.

But it blazed out like the sun to Naruto. It was the name of his friend, his first friend and one he had wronged.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I used you as bait in Wave. I'm sorry I killed you and never learnt your name. I hope your peace is restful."

He whispered the name to the night and felt Hinata once more draw close to him. In this moment he felt his resolve grow once more.

"I think he'd have forgiven you anyway. How does it feel?"

"Good."

He looked upon the name a few more seconds and drew the information into his brain, carving the moment into his memory and into his soul.

He stood upwards and gazed back towards the Hokage Tower. The light in the office was still on.

"I have to go now...there is no time to waste."

Hinata nodded, looking at the ground as she held his hand in a tight grip.

"I know...I just wish we had more time. War is coming Naruto-kun, I'm sure you know as well as anyone."

"Yes. This means I must do what I must now rather than later."

"When will I see you next?"

"I do not know. I may not."

Then she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him again. Naruto felt this was right and returned the action. It just felt right, holding her there in the moonlight. Yet he could not linger. He forced himself to back down and look her in the eyes once again.

"I'll try to though. When the war is through my double life may give me time. If you became Hokage that would make things easier."

It was an insane thought but it was an option certainly. Hinata drew back, still holding his hands tightly in hers.

"Then I will do my best. Like he would. Like you will. Good luck Naruto-kun."

She released his hands and he saw the tear roll down her face. He didn't do goodbyes. Mostly he just left. This time he could be different.

"Farewell Hinata-chan. See you someday."

Then he ran. He couldn't stay there any longer because if he did he wouldn't have been able to leave. A part of him screamed to stay and hold her forever but he resisted it. He made his way up the side of the tower like a shadow and let himself in.

* * *

Tsunade looked at his face and read it well.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"You realise Iwa has just declared war?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure you want to just leave her?"

"No. But I must. For Konoha."

Tsunade gave him a small smile.

"Don't give up on her entirely Naruto. One day perhaps?"

"Perhaps. I shall confront him now. There is much that needs doing. I shall report when I have made my first movements."

She shook her head and sighed.

"I still don't like this, but you're going to anyway. I'd rather keep you in my sight than in your darkness."

He nodded and turned. He needed his weapons. He needed focus. There was only one thing left to say.

"Send Hinata-chan my regards when you see her."


	61. Will of Shadow

The room was dark and contained only the spartan throne that he sat upon.

He'd long waited for this moment. Ever since he had given his successor over to Hiruzen he had known that it was going to happen.

The light changes people. He'd seen it with agents he'd placed into the regular forces. After a year they had to be withdrawn or they adapted to become like those they were infiltrating. They gained emotional understanding so fast it was almost like an infection that couldn't be treated.

Naruto had been in the light for less than that time but he'd known the instant that he had been given up that it would be too late. Something about him radiated humanity that he couldn't suppress. He'd tried, partially succeeded. But it hadn't worked. Maybe even in Root he would have formed relationships with people.

He mused that it might well have been him.

And now his lost child was well and truly coming home.

He only had one last part yet to play.

The heavy door swung open and he saw him silhouetted in the portal and the dim light from outside.

His wayward child stepped in and the door slammed shut, leaving them both in the darkness.

"Welcome Naruto."

"Danzo."

"You have come to overthrow me, have you not?"

"Yes."

"What reason have I to yield to you, acolyte? I could cast genjutsu upon you and turn your will inside out. I could summon all of my forces and have them crush you to dust. I could defeat you in open combat. Tell me, why I should yield to you here?"

"Try."

Danzo slipped the bandages off his eye and his Sharingan eye met Naruto's Byakugan. Naruto watched the eye spin.

"Turn away Naruto."

"No."

There were more figures surrounding the throne now in an arc. Four more Naruto had stepped out of the darkness.

He tried to work out which was the real one as his eye spun furiously. He focused on the far left and forced his way into its will. Just as he was about to break it the clone vanished. His eye stopped.

The remaining four Naruto vanished as well and another stepped out from the shadows.

"Very good. Misdirection and stealth I could not see to disarm me of my genjutsu. Guards."

The voice was so calm and collected. He knew there were at least two guards outside his chambers at all times who were proficient and unbreakably loyal.

"Guards."

Yet still they did not come.

"They do not recognise you Danzo. Much as I do not recognise you. A genjutsu clouds their minds and blocks your calls."

Danzo rose from the chair and his posture became that of a crouching tiger, ready to strike at any moment.

"And should I use direct force?"

"Everyone loses, but I have a countermeasure prepared which you will not expect or be able to counter."

There was a tense stillness before Danzo sat back upon his throne.

"Very good. Yet now we reach a stalemate with you still at a disadvantage. I am still in charge of Root and you are surrounded and out of your depth. I am not Orochimaru, arrogant and blinded by desire. You cannot stay in this base for years to kill me."

"I have reason to see you gone. From that perspective, I have the advantage."

"True. Yet motivation is nothing without means."

"I could kill you if I wanted to. I desire answers. I would rather you stepped into the light and retired than have to do so."

"You could kill me? An interesting boast. Wishing me to live sounds like sentiment to me."

"Hypocrisy."

There was a tense silence as Danzo mulled the word over.

"Explain how you know this to be the truth."

"When you attempted to bring me back into the Root your operatives were not efficient or powerful. I believe they were newer recruits. This means that you recently lost a good portion of your better shinobi. How many?"

"5 squads in Orochimaru's base after you escaped. Akatsuki did most of it."

"The Danzo I knew from before I came into the light would never have allowed such a loss to happen. It was a sloppy move prompted by something he would not have paid attention to. Yet this was a symptom and not a cause.

When the Third Hokage died was when it stopped working. You need to work with the Hokage and yet when Tsunade-sama rejected you you kept going. You know that the Root needs to work with the main forces but you did not. Now that war comes I know you will not step in to win it. With a well commanded Root Iwa would not have the capability to fully attack. Yet they burn our borders."

Danzo was silent as Naruto continued.

"You are not operating Root so much as holding on because you have nothing to move on to and you think you are doing the right thing. Yet things have changed. Suna is gone and there is no balance amongst the nations."

"I know that. I foresaw the consequences."

"Foresaw but do not act upon. You wait for Iwa to attack us and yet do not prepare. It is as if you want Konoha to be weakened so you can take over. That is your plan is it not?"

"It is. Konoha is weak under Lady Tsunade. Hiruzen would understand."

"It is stronger, and will be stronger when the Hokage and the Root combine as opposed to being at each other's throats. She would have destroyed you with force had I not convinced her otherwise."

"I anticipated you would prevent my destruction because you too have some weakness."

There was more silence.

"You do what you do for the love of Konoha yet are blind to the damage you will do to it. You must be stopped because you will not let go. Hiruzen would not want you to cause deaths just to carry out his way. He believed in the Will of Fire."

"And you do?"

"No. Yet I see a similar principle in this. Call it the Will of the Shadow. The ideal of Konoha above all else, of Konoha surviving and moving on. It is my purpose. Now that we conflict it means that one of us has strayed. How many deaths do you allow for your plan? How many shinobi and civilians?"

Danzo was silent as he calculated.

"I need only lose one and as many in battles until I force Iwa to its knees from the dark. You would risk the lives of many more and the death of the Hokage herself before intervention. How is that better?"

There was a silence. Danzo shut his eye and Naruto saw just how old he looked in the shadows. How deep the wrinkles under his eyes and how pale he looked.

"It is not. Your plan is superior. Yet in the long term my plan..."

"Fails. You cannot be Hokage and maintain the Root. There must be two for balance, light and darkness. You see this and yet you willingly deny it."

There was silence.

"And if I refuse?"

"You cannot. You will not allow yourself to refuse it."

The man nodded.

"You still have problems to overcome, yet I suspect you have solutions for them. If you kill me you must do it quickly so that my Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique does not catch you. That will destroy you immediately and damage the Root base."

"You will deactivate it to assure this does not happen."

The man nodded and opened his robes. Naruto could not see the action but he knew that the seal had been altered and deactivated.

"And the Root?"

"I will command them, train them. I will do as you did all those years ago and form Konoha's outer reach, its final shield and its source of safety."

The man nodded and stood.

"I have but a few things to say before you end this Naruto. I hope you will give me a chance to embrace my sentimental side before my life ends, as we know it must. I cannot leave this place. I will not burden the Hokage with holding me trial."

"I know. I do not wish to kill you but will as I must."

"You were like a son to me Naruto. There is something special about you. Not in your skills. Certainly you are the best stealth expert in the nations, yet that is not your defining feature. Nor your Jinchuriki status, for there were others. No. There is a life in you that will not be denied, that cannot be stopped. It could only be suppressed. Do you know the average time a Root operative can remain in the light for before they lose efficacy?

It is usually three years. You on the other hand never lost that humanity. Your regrets over the death of the maid were something I could not remove. I gave you an option and you refused it. When something made you do so you rejected it in such a short time. Others have not refused it and gone to their graves locking away secrets. Others broke it after many years and died in the process. You forced it open once again and faced all the fears.

You then opened up and made friends, gained influence. If I had not taken you, you would be so different I imagine. Yet you are still like a son to me. I trained you and was told to let you go. I did not willingly give you up, but trusted you to a friend against my judgement. Even though we differed, we had a lot of respect for one another. In this, he was right, and I was right. It is rare our opinions could be both correct.

You are a leader Naruto. Lead the Root as best you can.

Now do it. With the crossbow and not the technique you have gained to counter me. I know which one it is, and you are the only one who could use it now.

May you make Konoha strong."

He turned his back to Naruto and stood tall.

There was no noise as the crossbow bolt left the bow and made its way across the chamber. Well moulded chakra let it slip through the air without noise or interference, treasuring its path towards the man's head. Caressing it onwards silently.

He saw the bolt impact and end the man's life.

He let a single tear fall down his face as the body fell to the floor. He had to be strong. His voice did not waver.

"Guards."

The Root members entered, four of the elite.

"Lord Danzo has passed command of the Root to me. Assemble all the members in the main training hall. The time for action has come."

"Yes Lord Naruto."

They left him alone in the room and he made his way to the desk. On it there was a small light source, positions so nobody could see the light, and a letter beneath.

He opened the paper softly and read the note.

_'Naruto._

_I had known this day would come, and know our conversation will have covered everything I wish to say but this._

_No-one within Root will question your command, as they had known you would succeed me since the day you entered. _

_I needed you to learn emotion and suffer loss and understand how people function, illogical and foolish as they are._

_May you bring glory to Konoha. Good luck my son._

_Shimura Danzo.'_

He smiled. His old master had known and planned this from the start. He had known and tested him one final time.

Now all that he needed to do was commune with the Hokage and do the best for Konoha.

He walked towards the training chambers to see what forces he had and what his next move would be.

* * *

The politics of the world were immediately altered as the war began.

The daimyo's of Lightning and Water country immediately cautioned their respective Kage that any aggressive behaviour on their part should only be in response to aggression on their borders. Strict neutrality was to be observed along with assiduous border control.

In doing so they isolated their forces from the combat to avoid being weakened by the war that was to come. It remained to be seen who the winner of such a war was going to be. Konoha had fewer forces but they were undeniably better.

The Fire daimyo had spoken out to his colleagues, those who would listen at least, about the unprovoked nature of the military action, to which the politicians did as they do and talked a lot without anything happening.

The Earth daimyo was very silent, communicating with no one.

Then the minor nations began to react to the news. Kusa and Taki were directly on the border of the two nations, and Ame possibly so. Even Ishi and Tani might become battlegrounds if the weak and ignorable Suna and the Wind lands became a military route.

Kusa and Taki immediately fled their lands, seeking refuge in Fire and Earth country as fast as they could. Any shinobi forces stayed in the villages, creating impassable routes where any trespasser could be attacked. It would take some time and be politically poor to merely steamroll such forces anyway.

Ame was still leaderless and the people there panicked and tried fleeing as best they could. The leaderless Ame forces soon melted away into the land.

Ishi and Tani appealed to Suna to little avail. Practically defenceless, with only small forces suitable for holding up bandits, they withdrew as best they could. Both lands were difficult to traverse, and they prayed that their enemies would not move through them.

In Konoha, Tsunade had taken full command of the forces, appointing leaders and preparing all active Konoha shinobi for service. With Jiraiya still missing, and hope of his return diminishing daily, she coped as best she could.

In Iwa, confused earth shinobi set up bulwarks on the front with the Konoha border, and prepared for the counter assault until their next orders came.

In Iwa, Oonoki gave orders as if nothing was wrong. In the shadows, the masked man laughed under his breath at the chance for revenge against Konoha, and the capture of the Nine-tails.

On the border, vast lines of trenches and trap fields littered the burnt edges of the Konoha forests. Blacked tree trunks and ash were trampled by shinobi and used to conceal all manner of death.

Everyone was waiting for Konoha to strike back or for a weakness to be found. It was a matter of where and when.

* * *

The war council in Konoha was extremely quiet and tense.

Tsunade headed the table, grim faced but strong. She had her senior Jonin and commanders with her. A team of the most deadly and strategic shinobi Konoha could place together.

Shikaku Nara was going through the possible strategies and situations that had been predicted and run through. It wasn't nice viewing. There were very few ways that Konoha could get out of this one without seriou casualties, and even those didn't make good reading.

On the upside, if it could be called that, it was that Iwa wouldn't come away unscathed. It too would take a mauling.

If that was an upside, she wasn't happy with it.

Shikaku was outlining strategic divisions, their platoon structure and possible attacks Iwa could make and the counter attacks that Konoha could pursue.

She hated the war. Looking around she saw that those with more field experience were leading and planning and thinking. Her gaze idly found the window and she saw a bird floating gently in the breeze.

What would she really fear in a war? What would drive her into making mistakes?

Certainly killing those she cared about or damage to Konoha. She would hate for them to unleash their fury on the civilians though. She would never do it.

To attack citizens was the work of a coward and knife in the darkness.

She tried to focus but knew it not that important what she said or did. She wasn't a fighter and neither was Oonoki. If anything she was surprised that he had been the one to start it all. It didn't seem right.

Shikaku wrapped up his speaking and nodded to her. She realised she had to give the final, formal agreement to the plan.

"Although it pains me, we are at war with Iwa. Kumo and Kiri will not get involved, and it is likely this war will be bloody and long. I did not wish for this, nor do I understand why Onoki has declared this war. Do your best for the will of fire and for Konoha. Given Shikaku's plans we will not engage unless we have to and maintain as much peace and necessary."

The assembled nodded and went out to prepare the shinobi of Konoha. Tsunade sat awhile longer looking out of the window.

A small cough caused her to turn.

And there he was. It had been barely two days since he had gone and now he had returned. He looked exactly the same until she saw his eye and examined how he stood. He just looked taller and more in command of himself. Steely. Determined.

"Tsunade-sama."

"Naruto. I take it Danzo let go peacefully?"

"Yes. We have prepared his body to look like a peaceful death in his sleep. There will be no suspicion of any wrongdoing."

She sighed.

"It sounds so callous and cold hearted Naruto."

"It is what must be done."

She looked further out of the window.

"How would you do it Naruto? How would you bring down a shinobi village?"

He joined her by the window, standing in her shadow. He was little more than a shadow himself in his black cloak.

"I would find a weakness and exploit it to the full. I have reviewed all the information about Earth country and Iwa's defences."

"Then how would you destroy them? I assume it isn't direct force."

"No."

Naruto paused as he looked out.

"I considered what brings strength to a nation. Certainly its shinobi are one of the things. They are the strong arms that reach out to perform actions. Then there is the Kage. A strong Kage is a good head for the village. Yet what of the body?"

She knew where he was going.

"The body are its people, the traders and merchantmen. Konoha is strong not only from its shinobi forces but because it is well situated for trade and well placed to perform missions everywhere. It is well defended and has a large population. They are treated well and treat the shinobi well."

"You intend to attack the citizenry of Iwa?"

Shd didn't bother to hide the disgust and surprise, even if she could have expected something so loathsome.

"Yes. With the majority of the medical corps at the front lines with the shinobi, there is a good chance that the Hidden Village is not well defended or equipped. Whilst their medical corps are likely efficient, they are not the equal of ours. We have the two greatest medics in the world here."

"I'm flattered and I'm sure Shizune would be. Given time Sakura might surpass us both."

He remained still as she continued to stare out at the village she had once spurned and now cared for.

"What would you do if a new plague, never seen before, attacked the citizens of Konoha?"

"I would quarantine, isolate and find a cure."

"How would they react though?"

Tsunade considered.

"They know we are at war, even if I have not officially declared martial law yet. Some have seen war before and would think it some attack of the enemy."

"I agree. There would be panic but it would be quelled swiftly. We are defending Konoha not striking at Iwa. We expect attacks. However, Iwa is the aggressor. How would their citizens react to it?"

Tsunade saw the horrifying logic. Iwa had never produced a medical prodigy and unless they had secretly, was not in possession of one. The people...

"They will panic and the disease will spread. You would sign their death sentence Naruto."

"Consider what will happen with the population of the city depleted. The shinobi are unharmed whilst the citizens suffer. Our defensive tactics and stonewalling will force no decisive engagements. The unrest will eventually reach the soldiery. The plague might also. They will be angry. Frustrated. Then they will make mistakes."

"But the cost?"

"Will be significantly lower for Konoha. With their people broken their shinobi can be picked off and weakened. They may surrender then you may dictate terms favourable in the extreme. The war will end without significant losses to our forces and decisively so. The lands of Iwa would not be devastated by a ground war as well and they could rebuild for the civilians."

She knew he was right. Konoha would keep its citizens safe and if they could pull the rug of support out from under Iwa...but the cost.

"If the fact you save lives was the only thing I'd consider then I would agree. I would have to demand that you provide a plague sample for me to make an antidote just in case."

"It will be done. Kuchiyose no Jutsu."

Fitch appeared with a small vial in his hands. It was made of fine glass and held an even smaller vial within. The fluid contained in that vessel was black as night. He stood at knee height next to Naruto with it outstretched towards Tsunade.

"Hokage-sama. Take care of this sample; the secrets of our clan are not easily given away."

He bowed and nodded to Naruto before disappearing. She cradled the vial gently before nodding to Naruto.

"Do it, but do it yourself. I want you to take the weight of what you are about to do."

"Hai. I would do so anyway. For Konoha."

He turned to go and got to the door before he turned.

"Please pass my regards to Hinata-chan."

She didn't hear him go but he went. She stared out of the window and stared at the vial on her desk. It was certainly something useful for her to do.

She took it up and made her way towards the hospital building.

* * *

_A/N- 200k words up, and I still appreciate critical reviews on just about anything!_


	62. The War

_**Caution. This chapter contains some dark material that could potentially upset. I apologise in advance if any of what follows in both the author's note or the chapter offends or upsets.**_

* * *

___A/N A few thoughts about this chapter._  


_A couple of you (oddly the two people who I couldn't PM in response...grr) reviewed last chapter spotting something I wondered whether people would comment on in terms of Naruto's plan for the destruction of Iwa._

_I'll quote the second one which I found most interesting on this by "y u no login" so presumably you have an account! Silly webpage eh?_

"

i was liking your story until now. No matter how efficient or logical, this is  
not how the good guys behave. If you are going to start now with the  
Konoha-Iwa war, you should read before some just war theory. Infecting the  
civilians of the enemy country with a plague is just not done.

If the protagonists of your story start behaving like this, we might as well  
cheer for Akatsuki & Co.

"

_You are 100%, undeniably and without question..._

_Correct._

_ And I have been aware of this fact from the moment I wrote the words of this part of the story._

_To be honest, it's too easy in fanfiction to blindly cheer for whoever the story is about. It's an easy way to read and I don't blame anyone for writing or reading a story that way. Write a story from Obito's perspective where he wins and Infinite Tsukotoyumi is the end of the fic and we cheer!_

_These are not the actions of a "hero". There are not the actions of someone who has a great deal of compassion. You would be right in calling me on what is frankly an atrocious way of performing war. Were your statement in effect I would change the story. Sadly it isn't because you are wrong in one detail._

_Naruto is not a hero. He's the protagonist of the story certainly, the main character. He isn't a hero. All through the story he performs acts of questionable moral judgement. Threatening Hinata, Breaking into the Hokage tower and knocking out lights, shooting Kiba through the shoulder and others. To be honest, I never wanted him to be a hero._

_He is Root, and Root is not an organisation with a good record for being good people. Root is where what is needed is done without fear, without second thought and without compassion. He might not want to kill them but it minimizes the casualties for Konoha. That's his number one goal. It doesn't matter that he's attacking the defenceless, it doesn't matter that this is "just not done". He's doing it for Konoha._

_Is it horrifying? Absolutely yes! I don't like writing him to do this but I am loyal to the character I have created and this is what he would do. Do I think this is right? No. Do I worry that I wrote it? Maybe a little. But the fact is for all of the high handed moralism that can occur in fanfiction where Konoha is a land of sunshine and rainbows and everywhere else is of Orochimaru's level it's important to know that even the guys on your side can commit atrocities. This is me showing it a mirror of the real world truth._

_I think real life bears out when nations we live in with democracy, freedom of expression and good conditions can do these things as well. Let's not forget what happened in the past like WW2 or Vietnam. Concentration camps, the Blitz, the levelling of Dresden in one of the more horrifying allied actions of the war. Let us never forget that war is a terrible thing. We wouldn't do this to anyone "in a real war" but unless you are a soldier currently in a war situation (in which case I thank you for your service and what you do, because I couldn't do it) we can't really understand that well. I certainly hope I never have to._

_Which is why I don't want this to be a glorified conflict. I don't want there to be a hero who strikes down his foes alone and stands fearless before all atop a mountain of bodies. The hero who doesn't see the consequences and widows. Because that kind of fiction stays so separated from the truth that it doesn't belong in this fic. The actual conflict parts of the story will be brief and detached._

_In this fic, Naruto will do the unthinkable and the unpalatable and he will do it without a second thought. Will he have regret? Perhaps. Will we judge him, and maybe me for even conceiving the concept? Certainly we can._

_All that matters it that Naruto remains true to who I have written him to be. Let us not forget that war is not a thing of glory. It is not a thing to be celebrated. The fact that the entire manga/anime is about people who kill each other as a profession makes this all the more ironic. We think nothing of Naruto striking someone down with a rasengan, not thinking about the possible orphan's, widows and family dependants that leaves behind. We don't see the tragedies._

_I think I've rambled enough here, but to summarise:_

_War is terrible, and Naruto's actions are intentionally beyond the pale. He's Root and this is how he would operate._

_I do not condone the use of warfare against civilians, and respect the work of our armed forces. (UK and our allies)_

_I would say enjoy this chapter but...that would feel somewhat hollow now. Appreciate what is to unfold seems more fitting._

* * *

_**Caution. This chapter contains some dark material that could potentially upset. I apologise in advance if any of what follows in both the author's note or the chapter offends or upsets.**_

* * *

The days began to pass.

She read the status reports on her time off from the lab or making statements and talking to the people of Konoha.

A small skirmish here, a scout engagement there. So far neither party was willing to trade any form of heavy blow against the other. That was fine, although the waiting wasn't exactly wonderful either.

Of the fifteen thousand Konoha shinobi taking up advanced positions to counteract any move from the Iwa forces, there had been only three casualties. It was going well so far but she could feel the tension building.

She had posted Kakashi out on the front lines as her overall commander for the engagement. He had complained but he had to deal with it, he was leadership material through and through.

She recalled her work in the lab with her best. None of them knew the effect of the serum, but could tell it was bacterially based, reproduced very quickly and produced a variety of nasty side products.

The test rodents they had used were certainly not at all affected by it. The other tests showed distinctly worse results on human tissue samples.

Still, this is what she had to protect against. She focused her chakra into the chemical compounds. It was a skill to add chakra to increase the potency of a cure but it was a worthwhile one in her books.

She certainly wondered how he was going to get through the lines, but he could do it. Iwa was about 3 days travel under peaceful conditions. With the level of forces and travelling at nights, Naruto should be making it to Iwa any day.

She hoped he would fail but hoped he would succeed.

She sighed and got back to the medicine. That was her war today.

* * *

He slid the blade silently across the man's throat and pulled him into the shadows to be hidden until someone else found him. The body needed further preparation to ensure it was not overwhelmingly suspicious.

There were not many guards, and they were not very good. He sighed at their inefficiency. The main wellhead was now open to him. They'd be suspicious of it when they learned the guards were dead.

He didn't plan on that mattering.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu."

A swarm of rats erupted from the summon. He didn't stay to watch them swim away into every sewer and water pipe in the village because he knew they knew. Infected rats into almost every home. In hours, they would begin to bite and mess and infect.

The enemy would not be prepared for this. They could not be prepared.

Rats could swim up pipes and sewers with ease, and could use their droppings and bites to spread the disease. Any that did die would still spread the disease.

He slipped through the shadows, past unsuspecting guards and out under the walls of the city. He found his stashed camping gear in the cave he had chosen and relaxed a little bit. Out on his own doing what needed to be done.

He wondered if she would appear in his dreams again as he drifted off to sleep and waited for disease and panic to destroy the city.

* * *

The death began.

He watched the infection begin with the poorest, the ones now forgotten by the martial law and in worries about the fighting. The idea of glorious fighting and battle was so ingrained into people that they forgot that there was any other danger.

He heard the first coughs and splutters and knew it was taking hold. He had found the main hospital and added a mild toxin to the supply that would make the doctors feel ill. It wouldn't affect all of them, nor would it kill directly.

It didn't have to. All it needed to do was distracted and keep attention off the new disease when the pandemic was in its infancy.

When the first child began to show symptoms, alarm began to spread. By then it was too late to fully prevent it.

The first dead gave cause for true alarm amongst the people but by then many were showing the effects. Families that were ill began to spread panic and fear. The sight of a dead child was...he had turned away and hardened his heart, unable to watch the still dying mother grieve over the body.

He saw the remaining shinobi try to restore order, but they were the very youngest and oldest of the shinobi forces. Any that showed promise soon found themselves removed from the picture with wounds that looked like a beating from a crowd. Like Iwa citizens turning on the shinobi.

That made more fear and panic than he could have created with an army of thousands.

He was beginning to realise what Tsunade had said about his actions though. He flinched a little whenever he saw friends mourning or worse, parents over a child. The plague he had unleashed hit the weakest first.

Yet despite his regrets he knew he had to continue this action and that it could not be undone. His job was to win for Konoha.

With knowledge that the disease had spread, he had begun to intercept messages from Iwa to the frontlines when he could.

With luck, the front lines would be feeling that as well.

* * *

The Iwa front lines were feeling the confusion.

The genin corps were feeling it the worst. Youngest and not hardened by service or war they found the entire notion that they could do nothing as their home was suffering almost intolerable. The messages had been secret but rumours can spread faster than people can talk and sound can travel.

Experienced heads tried to calm them, or failing that, discipline and threaten them into line, but it wasn't long until cracks and defections began to appear. Some corps attacked Konoha without backup in their anger and died. Some trailed back homewards to be rounded up or annihilated by the pair of Root squads Naruto had directed to help with the task.

Those that made it home were the least fortunate. They saw what was happening to their home.

The front lines now only really consisted of the chunin, jonin and ANBU of Iwa. With their manpower slowly slipping away, the few forces that remained attempted to remain composed. There were still no real orders to engage, probing strikes against Konoha had shown it to be well prepared for the attack.

Eventually even the worst of the chunin were beginning to get affected. The only things stopping them from folding were blind hatred and knowledge that to attack like the genin meant death and retreat was unthinkable.

With home in confusion, supplies began to dwindle slightly. Not helping were the bandit raids that had increased during the war, but with Root teams thrown in to cause havoc as well, things suddenly looked very bleak for Iwa. Yes they had essentials but the little things that kept them going were leaving. Maybe it was the lack of letters and communication from family back home that was the most distressing.

They were collapsing from the inside and the outside was beginning to notice there wasn't anything beneath them.

The doom for the Iwa forces was almost entirely sealed when the first Jonin from Iwa abandoned his weapons and moved for the Konoha lines with the hope of surrender.

* * *

Naruto watched it all unfold in Iwa and wondered why they would not retreat or surrender. At this stage they should have called for aid and yet nothing had changed.

The Kage should have come out to calm thing himself yet remained locked in his chambers, directing things from there. That too was concerning. The man was old but was he that old?

He was now concerned and convinced that there was something more behind this than simple war.

He crept up the second highest tower in Iwa, utterly undetected by anyone in the village. He suspected there weren't many left who could.

There was residual chakra all over the Kage building that he had noticed since the beginning. He had ignored it at first to carry out his mission but otherwise had kept it in mind.

It wasn't aesthetically pleasing chakra at all, something felt wrong about it.

Very wrong.

Which is why he wanted to find out what it was.

He fixed his gaze on the Kage building and drew out his crossbow. The bolts were a new type as well. With control of the Root armoury, he had developed bolts which channelled chakra more easily and were also the colour of night as a standard. He might as well have been able to teleport bolts into his enemies.

At this time, he needed to wait for a clean shot.

Then the Tsuchikage walked out onto the balcony and stood with his hands behind his back.

He could see the haze of chakra around the man that signified a genjutsu. There were no flares or jolts either of him fighting it. That meant he wasn't aware he was under a genjutsu either. Actually...his chakra was just wrong. He could see the chakra flowing to him.

He considered his options and decided to go for the most direct route. He moved to get as wide an angle on the man as he could and fired.

The bolt was undetectable and stuck in his forehead. A second and third hit his neck and heart respectively.

He fell over the railing of the balcony and landed with a thunk. Nobody was outside. Not dramatic, but he had just killed a Kage. It had been far too easy.

He put the bow away and drew the Kursurigama on instinct as he felt the change in chakra behind him.

The world opened and then there were two figures in Akatsuki cloaks behind him. He straightened up. The two toned man began to speak first.

"Hello Nine-Tails, _the pleasure is all ours."_

He looked at the masked man who bowed deeply.

"Uzumaki Naruto. My name is Tobi."

"No it is not, but continue."

The man began to circle him. Naruto decided to watch him as opposed to the other man.

"Zetsu has found it hard to find you over the years. Yet now I see it was you who killed so many of the more useless Akatsuki for me. Those who had outlived their fragile purposes."

"How prudent of you."

It wasn't a compliment or an insult but an observation. Naruto did know the philosophy of removing tools that had gone beyond their use very well indeed.

"You're just like Danzo, given that you have usurped him into leadership of Root."

"His time was done, now it is mine."

"No anger or surprise that I know all of this?"

"I know more about you than you think; Uchiha."

There was more silence broken by a growling chuckle from under the mask.

"Ah you actually see my eyes don't you. Well it is a shame that you killed my puppet Kage but it means little to me. You've done more than I expected. You have destroyed Iwa more thoroughly than you destroyed Suna. At least there you didn't push the issue by killing everyone who could help. How does it feel to have the blood of two nations on your hands?"

"How does it feel that I actually succeeded in bringing down a nation? You failed seventeen years ago. I was there."

That got a snarl.

"I should have killed you when I had the chance."

"You'll never get it again. So, what do you propose?"

The man stopped and observed him.

"You desire Konoha to be strong, but to what purpose? Tell me?"

"So as to maintain the peace of the elemental nations. With a strong Konoha, order can be maintained with relative ease, and the unnecessary casualties of war can be avoided."

"What if I could find you another solution, where only one death was required?"

"I would hear it."

The mask made it hard to read him. Well he wasn't going to let that stand.

"But only if you show me your face."

The man removed the mask. His face was split down the middle, one half damaged and crushed. He had a Sharingan and another eye Naruto had never seen before. The mismatched gaze burrowed into his head a little.

"You know what Akatsuki does but not why. I intend to reform the Ten-Tails and make myself its Jinchuriki. Following that, I will cast Tsukotoyumi upon the moon itself and control all people within it. There will be everlasting peace."

"You wish me to give you my Tailed Beast so you can control the entire world?"

"For peace. So no more people die at each others' hands. You can see the benefits."

He could. The logic was there but he knew it was wrong. He could reject it.

"It does not work. What when you die? If you cannot control your beast? What when you alone remain in the real world, controlling your technique? How long will you last before insanity sets in and your world of puppets bores you? How will you keep such power from corrupting you and merely turning you into a puppetmaster, playing for your sick and twisted pleasure? Too many variables left to chance. I reject your plan."

The man smiled a grim smile.

"I was not giving you a choice."

He snapped the mask back into place and stood still with his arms folded. The crossbow bolt phased through him.

"You cannot harm me."

"That wasn't just for you."

Tobi turned to see the bolt sticking out of both halves of Zetsu's forehead. He had been manoeuvred between Zetsu and Naruto, and then when the time had been right...Zetsu was at least going to be down for a long while. Tricked like Itachi had tricked him.

Naruto heard the growl of frustration grow behind the mask and stayed focused.

"Very clever Nine-Tails. Very clever. But how do you intend to attack me? You cannot harm me and you cannot escape."

Naruto knew that much, still the man had overconfidence oozing from him.

"I'm not coming with you. How do you intend to stop me simply waiting until all of Konoha descends on this place?"

He turned to leave and the man appeared in front of him again.

"Do not try my patience Nine-Tails."

"You're going to need it, I know about the Mangekyo Sharingan. You have not put me in Tsukotoyumi, so you do not possess the Sharingan with it. Assuming you killed Itachi, you don't know where an eye which has the jutsu resides. You need to find another Sharingan eye from a dead clan. Then you have to awaken it and find out don't you? How do you intend to carry out your plan without it?"

The man roared with frustration and Naruto smiled.

"What's your plan now? Wait years suffering traumatic events until you can cast it? Kill me? You don't have any good options. Your plan is laughable."

"I can seal you and then I will not rest until I achieve peace."

The man's shout was now carrying over the village below. Nobody was emerging, too ill or scared to do so from the week of terror and death.

"How do you intend to stop me walking away here and now?"

"I killed Jiraiya and Itachi back to back. I could crush you in an instant."

Naruto walked away from the man and prepared the hand seals he would need. Although he had not tested this jutsu, he had prepared it for his removal of Danzo in case the man resisted.

With luck he could end it here.

Then the man was on him and grabbed his head.

"Human Path. Soul removal."

He pulled the hand back to no effect whatsoever.

"What?"

Then Naruto grabbed his chest and looked into his eyes.

"Dead Demon Consuming Seal."

He watched the man's eyes be drawn towards the figure he knew was spreading behind him. He still felt the shock like being punched as the arm extended from his stomach and grabbed hold of his opponent.

"You madman! You kill us both?"

"You certainly. Possibly me."

The saw the blue arm begin to grip and looked into the man's eyes. The Sharingan and Rinnengan were distinctive and did not show emotion well, but he could see the panic rising in the man's face.

"I can fight this you fool. You think Orochimaru escaped this jutsu for no reason? My desire to unleash my plan outstrips anything that you have."

"My desire for Konoha to remain strong and my sacrifice towards it is stronger."

He concentrated on his desire to protect Konoha once more and full, deeply examined it. He would find strength in it.

"You have not seen a friend kill someone you love! You do not know that pain."

"I have killed my friend and passed through death itself!"

The hand pulled at the man's soul as Naruto declared his strength.

"I have not spent half my life in the darkness to give in to you now. My soul will not be sealed so easily."

"I have spent all but three years in the dark, but know that that time in the light was some of the best. I give that up to defeat you!"

More or the soul became visible now, he could see the eyes straining to do something against his assault but to no avail.

"No. You have not lost love."

"I do what I do so that one day I stand a chance of understanding love. So I have a chance so she has a chance."

The man screamed at him once more, a long and pained howl as he realised his mistake in getting close to Naruto. The hand pulled harder and the blue shroud was pulled fully from the man.

"Seal!"

The knife came down and the last noise was that of an agonised scream from the man as he crumpled to the ground. Naruto felt the arm withdraw and prepared himself for whatever came next.

Then his stomach encountered a lot of pain.

He gave a cry and dropped to his knees as he felt something start to get ripped out of him forcibly. He could feel whatever it was clawing at him for purchase but realised what it was. The Kyuubi was being sealed again.

His father had taken half of its chakra when he had sealed it into him, now that half was being ripped away from him.

He heard the dark howl in his head as the forces holding the seal together began to buckle under the strain put on him by the Shinigami's pull. He felt it tug hard, a dark laugh escaping it followed by roars of anger.

He doubled over and rolled onto his back as the pain intensified again. Through the agony, he lifted his shirt to see what was happening to the seal. It was breaking down, the outer layers of suppression had broken and shattered until there was nothing left but his original seal.

Then he saw that begin to unravel and felt another spike of pain in his body as the first four prongs began to disappear.

Then the red chakra seemed to burst out of him and towards the Shinigami whose open mouth seemed to smile, enjoying Naruto's plight. He shut his eyes to fight the pain; he wasn't exactly in cover anymore.

With a sudden jolt of separation that lifted him then dropped him back onto the ground, it ended. The Shinigami floated above him, with a puzzled expression as it studied him again. Then it vanished, fading away into the night sky.

Naruto realised that he wasn't in any pain anymore. If anything, he felt lighter than ever. He controlled his chakra and it was easier than he had considered. The constant ache from the restriction of his chakra was gone. He checked his stomach to see that it was bare of any seal.

He was free of the beast. He had finished Akatsuki. Iwa was in chaos.

He ducked out of sight and made for the city walls in the dark. There were people looking nervously out of their windows but a simple henge as an Iwa shinobi was enough for them to simply ignore him.

He would link up with his teams in the country and do what damage he could before returning to Konoha.

Out of earshot of the city, the noise escaped him like a flood and he started to laugh.

It echoed through the woods as all the pent up fear escaped his body at once. Now he only had one major and difficult objective left to accomplish before he could be happy for a brief time.

* * *

The war with Iwa ended.

With any orders from the Tsuchikage and the village completely gone, panic took a total grip amongst its shinobi. Only the most loyal or naive core remained of the army, encamped in what was swiftly becoming a fortress of its own as the outer reaches of their lines were pressured inwards and surrounded by cautious Konoha forces.

The rest returned home to find it mostly destroyed and despaired, or launched suicidal charges at the Konoha lines. Eight thousand chunin and Jonin moved to strike at the Konoha lines and were met up front by Konoha forces ready for them. The hours of fighting were the most bitter and deadly of the war, and casualties for Konoha were substantial from the forces which engaged.

Amongst the Iwa shinobi they were total. Emboldened, Konoha moved forwards to capitalise on the shattered forces which now withdrew into the fortress they had constructed with jutsu.

Attack on such a structure was tantamount to suicide, and siege was not pleasant either. It mattered little to Iwa, they had lost the war and were now driven by hatred and despair. Konoha needed to make sure it did not lose too much more manpower needlessly.

Then the plague struck the fortress. Maybe an Iwa shinobi had had a change of heart and opened a way in, or a messenger had brought it in. Reports of rats in the fortress were rampant. The medic nin present inside the structure tried their best to come up with an antidote but they didn't have enough facilities prepared.

By the time they'd made any progress, many of the shinobi were battling the plague.

Konoha shinobi strategized on how to finish the fortress. Calls for negotiation and surrender were turned away with jutsu and threats.

It was decided that they would tunnel under it and break it from beneath. That would take some days, even with jutsu. Medical shinobi began a vaccination program that Tsunade had finished in time and were ready to fight in the fortress.

By the time it was ready, the survivors of the fortress were running low on essentials and their numbers and morale were depleting by the day.

The final assault was a massacre.

Explosives ripped the land beneath the fortress apart and it toppled onto its side. Then the Konoha shinobi were amongst them. What resistance remained was short lived and ended swiftly.

The war was over.

The negotiations began shortly after Konoha forces reached the Hidden Village with no resistance. They were greeted by the Earth Daimyo, who offered the surrender of the lands. It was accepted.

Medical shinobi under Shizune began a mass treatment program to try and save the remaining populace. The grim work of burning the corpses began and the piles cast a dull red haze over the village, much like the burning forests had for Konoha.

The last of the Iwa Jonin took command of the situation, giving up their weapons to try and restore order. Older and more mature than anyone else in the situation, they knew they had no choice than to agree to the Konoha terms.

Not that it mattered much. From a starting force that numbered in the tens of thousands, merely three thousand remained, the majority genin who had fled the front lines and been ignored.

Konoha wound up with a large gain, even if it too had taken some casualties.

* * *

It was fortunate that they had not been substantial in the long term she decided.

Tsunade returned to her office and felt the gravity of the situation fall on her once again. There were now only three major villages left. Yet that felt more balanced than four.

The Mizukage and Raikage had sent polite, diplomatic messages regarding the end of the war. They were a strange mixture of congratulatory and threat that Tsunade tried to ignore. She could deal with that later.

The sound of soft footprints on the carpet made her turn.

"Tsunade-sama."

"Naruto-kun. Hinata sends her regards back to you."

She was sure he was smiling when he heard that bit of news, but she wasn't looking.

"I would say thank you if what you had done was in any way palatable to me. The only thing I am thankful for is that Konoha was not harmed at all during the war, and our forces remain strong. Your plan was efficient but I do not want to know what you intend to do next time. Provided you know what I am doing, it will work better."

"That seems like it would work Tsunade-sama."

She poured two dishes of sake from a bottle under her desk and passed one to him. They drank it together in silence.

"You know Naruto, having commanded the forces in one of the shortest shinobi wars in history; I got to thinking about the position of Kage. Oh and stop with the sama thing unless you want me to constantly bring up Hinata."

"Certainly an interesting thing to consider."

She swirled the dish to make the remaining fluid dance as she mused.

"I did not have to fight at all during the war. In fact, there were no large open engagements aside from their suicidal assault on our lines and the final assault. I think the position of Kage is changing. It used to be the strongest shinobi in the village, a pillar of strength and power to be respected and feared."

"Certainly it helped to back up the title with power."

She continued to look on Konoha as it sprawled before the large windows.

"Yes. Look at it now though? Three major villages, most of my work was done for me by more powerful and strategic shinobi. I don't think the Hokage needs to be the most powerful. No. Respect is more important now."

"Yes. You read my report?"

"When I had time. You are no longer a Jinchuriki?"

"I believe so."

She paused to drink again, staring out of the window of the office.

"Then there are none left and the Tailed Beasts are almost certainly lost forever, or at least long after we are both happily and safely dead. The loss of power being the only nation with a Jinchuriki was bad?"

"Not necessarily. It brings the destructive jutsu that Jinchuriki could bring to a minimum and makes us more normal and less hated. Whilst we do own the majority of Iwa and Suna now we are peaceful enough. Things are balanced."

She chuckled as she poured herself another dish of sake.

"They are. So when I retire in several years, I want you to be ready to join with them in partnership to accomplish the safety of Konoha. Maybe things will settle down so much that you could disband Root yourself."

"It would need to shrink but it needs to be ready at all times. It will not be disbanded and cannot be."

She finished her dish with a sigh of satisfaction.

"I can always dream."

She held a sheet of paper out towards him.

"Potential candidates. Making such a long term list in the shinobi world isn't usually wise but, well. What do you think of the choices?"

There was only one name on the sheet. He read it a few times then checked for genjutsu. Tsunade laughed.

"Surprised?"

"Yes. Yet I agree with your choice."

"Any reason in particular?"

"The candidate is ideally suitable for the new Hokage role you envision. Respectable and good in negotiation, capable of kindness as well."

He poured himself a second sake and drank it.

"That's the spirit Naruto. Wait until you reach my age then you'll just drink it from the bottle like a real old timer."

"Thank you for your time Hokage-sama."

"Work well Naruto. Anything else?"

He turned at the windowsill like he always did.

"Send my regards to Hinata-chan."

Tsunade sighed. She was now a messenger service for them. Not that she really mind that though. In a few years she would have a lot more time to relax and enjoy life again.

She decided to enjoy the sunset that nature had provided for her and maybe have another bottle of sake.


	63. The Shadows Pass

_Final Author's Note_

_This is the last chapter of Ghost, and it's a bit shorter than the others but it wraps everything up nicely. This is just a quick note to say thank you for all the reviews, favs, follows, support (or hate mail :P) that you guys have provided. 1300+ reviews is an epic amount more than I expected and I hope I've written something worthy of your attention, affection and time. _

_I don't have any more plans for this 'universe' as such, so if anyone wants to use any of the ideas or concepts (will of shadow, crossbow stuff, dark Root etc.) then I happily give you permission, but would really appreciate a PM about it if you do! I'll happily discuss any such stuff if you want to._

___Enjoy this final chapter and I will be back in a bit with my next story._

* * *

**Years later**

Fireworks blossomed into life over the Hokage Monument and the people cheered as Tsunade placed the hat onto the head of the new Hokage who blushed briefly before raising their head to the people below.

They acknowledged the crowd almost hesitantly at first before growing into the adulation as if they drew hidden strength from somewhere.

The face hadn't been chiselled into the mountainside just yet, but it would be soon. Then it would be fully and truly official.

The lands of Konoha had been relatively peaceful since the war. No great conflict was sparked and treaties with Suna and Iwa to provide trade had begun. The village prospered in the later summer sun.

Tsunade nodded to her successor and put an arm around them as they walked back towards the office of the Hokage tower.

"You do realise that you've made a terrible mistake in accepting this position?"

"It is something I felt I had to do."

Tsunade shook her head.

"Ah well, it does do crazy things to people doesn't it?"

"What does?"

Tsunade smiled and opened the door.

"You have a visitor it seems, I'll wait until you are finished to help you ease into your new job."

The candidate closed the door behind her and threw herself into the arms of the waiting man who clutched her tightly.

"Naruto-kun."

"Hinata-chan. Congratulation Hokage-sama."

She pulled back before kissing him like he was air she needed to live. He pulled back after a few long and tender moments.

"You know this can never become public, I will merely be a close advisor. There is still time for you to find someone else who you can be public and happy with, to have children with."

She smiled.

"I think I can live with that Naruto-kun. We could always get married in secret, I can do that myself."

"Sounds acceptable. The years have been long without you. I see now how Danzo-sama became so fatigued and dark."

She put a finger to his lips then pulled him tighter into the hug.

"Then I will stop you becoming him."

He kept her close and treasured the moment.

* * *

**Many years later**

The rain fell at the funeral.

He watched as the people of Konoha poured out their grief at her grave. Two years since she had left the position as Hokage and a heart attack had ended her life. It had been peaceful. He had been with her the night before. She had been content and happy.

He allowed himself a single tear. That was right for an advisor who had remained strong for her all those years. It was fitting for the leader of Root. It was a fitting public image for the figure he had cultivated for people to see.

He lingered at the grave with Shino as the rest of Konoha moved on with their lives.

In the rain, the head of the Aburame clan spoke softly.

"Your love for each other was always strong Naruto. It must be hard to lose her."

"It was always going to happen eventually, it will happen to all of us some day."

The man stood beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"So what now for you? Is it not time you moved on from Root? It is not something we speak of I am aware, yet it is important."

"I understand that it is time for that. I only need wait for the return of my successor."

"Wise. I think he is ready. Shiko thinks highly of him as a friend and a shinobi. I think he suspects something about him is different, much as I did those years ago about you. His friendship for him will endure."

They held the silence for a little longer.

"You know this means I will not see you again Shino."

"I surmised. It has been good knowing you friend."

"Yourself too."

He handed the kursurigama back to Shino.

"So that it may continue to serve another. Allow me some sentimentality."

Shino chuckled.

"At last you understand a little more."

They shared a quiet laugh together.

"Farewell friend."

"Farewell Naruto. See you on the other side."

They shared a final nod before Naruto made his way back to the Root complex.

* * *

The world had been stable for the last fifty years, and peace reigned in the land. There were less missing nin in the world, and in fact the rate of required shinobi work was declining. Root had been refined and changed and made better. He suspected that one day Tsunade's dream would nearly be accomplished and there would only need to be three or four Root left.

Right now though, one of the children of Root was missing in the light. He had been there for at least four years. Yet Naruto knew he would return.

He waited on the same spartan throne where Danzo had sat. He never had got around to changing this particular place in Root. A part of him knew it had to remain the same somehow.

He ran his hands over the features of his bow. It was the same one he had used his entire life. Parts of it had been replaced or improved but it was the same bow. His bow. One of the few things he genuinely felt was a part of himself like his skin or hair.

He was older now certainly. He didn't go on field missions unless he absolutely had to, which he hadn't for several years.

He had been able to grow old with Hinata and that had kept him sane. He had somewhat perfected what his former master had begun.

The sound of the doors swinging open made him smile. He stroked his bow one last time before putting it aside. He made sure the note was on the spartan desk, hidden to anyone not looking for it. He had only one last part to play in this life.

"You have returned Akato. Come to your senses have you? Or come to overthrow me?"

"The latter."

"And how do you plan to do that? I could shoot you dead four times over where you stand, or trap you in layers of genjutsu that would break you to my will."

"Try."

Four shots were deflected by flashing knife blades mere instants after he fired them. A fifth caught the figure and turned it to smoke. He smiled at how similar it all was to how he had performed this duty.

"Very good. Guards."

There were none.

"They cannot hear you, and if they could they would not recognise your voice. You have changed Naruto. You have lost squads and made mistakes you would not otherwise do. Give in."

He rose from his throne and tossed aside his cloak.

"Should I force you to fight?"

"It will end badly for everyone in Konoha. You must yield."

"Make me. I will overthrow the weak Hokage they have placed in Hinata-sama's place and control both Root and Konoha."

His successor walked forwards, knifes drawn, their dark metal surfaces rippling in the darkness. He could see the genjutsu rippling around them, hiding the majority of the blade or displacing them entirely.

"I cannot allow that to happen, you know it cannot be done! I have studied your documents, your writings. I know this conversation has happened before! I must end this now."

Naruto grabbed him and the ghastly figure rose behind him once again.

"Fool. I had such hopes for you."

The arm reached for his foe but found nothing to grasp. With a roar the figure withdrew the arm and disappeared, leaving both men unharmed.

"I too have passed through death. I have seen the abyss. You cannot harm me with that jutsu."

He stepped away from Naruto who kept his face stern. He had to keep that to the end.

"I still have no reason to leave this position."

"The incident with Kumo. The losses Root and Konoha suffered."

"That was an accident, nothing more than poor fortune."

The young man before him shook his head.

"We lost two squads, Konoha lost three. Fifteen shinobi lost and Kumo antagonised. The new Hokage nearly lost control and I had to change his mind. I am not tainted by emotion as you suspect, I am strengthened by it."

"In the long term my plan works out better."

"It does not. You know it does not. It is time to accept that fact."

He realised it was. He turned and shut his eyes. He allowed himself a smile that he had completed his part.

"Then do what you came to do."

He didn't feel the kiss of the blade's sharp edge on his neck; merely saw the dark of his eyes being closed and then a different darkness.

* * *

He had often wondered what lay beyond life the second time. Certainly it felt different. This did not feel as cold and as alien as it had the last time. This felt right. Maybe it was how you felt entering the place beyond that determined how it was.

Colour began to drift into view and he felt strength in his limbs once more. He was standing somewhere where the world was bright around him. He flexed his body and it felt real and strong.

There was a figure running towards him, a figure he knew from long ago, but one that couldn't have been. There were others behind him that he recognised but the closest one had a smile that lit his life anew.

The brown hair, the bright eyes. The smile. He was definitely older yet he looked like Naruto had always remembered him despite this.

"Naruto!"

The figure bounded to him and embraced him tightly.

"Welcome to what lies beyond. Let me show you around."

He spoke the name that had been with him for years, but he'd never been able to voice.

"Kousei?"


End file.
